


Vendetta di Sangue

by WildClover27 (PrairieFlower)



Category: Garrison's Gorillas
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:26:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27091999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrairieFlower/pseuds/WildClover27
Summary: A tale of family, death and revenge. A relationship is lost, one is damaged and friendships begun.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Non-canon characters are my own and not for use in other people's stories.

Garrison answered the phone in his office. It was mid-morning and he was already tired of the mounds of paperwork he was trying to catch up on. Major Richards was on the other end. This did not bode well.

“Garrison? You have permission to go in and get Miss Harkness out of there. We agree with your logic. If she is concerned for her safety, chances are she will unintentionally make a mistake. A car will take you to the sub base at Norfolk. You leave there at 2000. The car will pick you up at 1500.”

“Thank you, Major,” said Craig, unable to keep a touch of the relief he felt out of his voice.

“Be careful.” It was the first time the Major had cautioned him in regards to this.

“Yes, Sir.”

Garrison hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath in and letting it slowly out in a sigh of relief. The waiting and worry would be over soon. Craig waited until lunch to let the others know he was going in again. As usual, he gave no indication of the nature of his mission. Being nothing new to the men, they did not ask. Neither did his sister.

GGGGG

Terry got up from the poker game to answer the phone. The usual argument over who was cheating was playing loudly in the background. She shook her head laughing as she picked up the phone. “Zoo, interim zookeeper here, how may I help you?”

“Lt. Garrison has been captured. He is being held in Gestapo headquarters in Oslo, pending deportation to Berlin for further interrogation. His partner was also captured. She was tortured and killed.”

Terry turned and screamed, “Will you guys shut up!”

Terry turned back and listened to Major Richards’ voice repeating what he had said and tried to comprehend what she had just been told. Her right hand rose to cover her mouth and she leaned her forehead on the banister. The four cons watched her from behind, silent and apprehensive. They knew it had to be bad and it had to be Garrison.

“Terry, are you there?” Major Richards voice had softened and was also concerned.

“Yes, Kevin, I’m here,” Terry replied steadily in a monotone.

“I know you will just go in on your own anyway, so I am sending you and the team in to get Garrison back.”

“I may have to bring my people in too.” Terry’s mind was already working on two levels.

“Whatever you have to do,” said Richards. “And you will have to do whatever you have to do.”

Terry’s head snapped up and her voice took on an angry tone. “Major, I will not kill my own brother! We’ll get him out!”

“I figured as much,” replied Richards. “Come to Major Schaeffer’s office in two hours and I will brief you.”

“Yes, Sir,” replied Terry. 

She hung up the phone and listened to the cacophony of male voices behind her, which she ignored. Her eyes focused on Craig’s second in command. “Actor, were you ever in Norway before the war?”

“Yes,” replied the con man. “Many times.”

“You speak it?”

“Very little,” said Actor. “Just the basics of yes, no, where is the john.”

“Where are the dames,” added Casino.

“That was never a problem,” assured Actor, haughtily. “Teresa? What is going on? What has happened?”

Terry turned away, dialed the phone and waited for an answer. 

Christine picked up on the other end. “Blue Fox.”

“Chris, drop whatever you’re doing and get over here,” said Terry, the strain evident in her voice. “But before you do, call Kelly and tell him to come.” She paused. “Circle the wagons.”

There was a brief pause on the line. “Craig?”

“Yes. Norway.” 

“Captured?”

“Yes.”

“Jenny?”

“Dead.” Terry’s voice matched the word.

“Oh, God,” breathed Christine. “Are we going to Norway?”

“Yeah,” replied Terry with a bit more animation. “Clear to Berlin if we have to.”

“Do you want me to find Dirk and Tinker?” asked the younger sister.

“No,” said Terry. “Seven of us is too big of a team now, but we’ll probably need Kelly and you to take care of Craig.”

“Are you leading?” asked Chris.

“Me or Actor,” replied Terry. “Probably Actor. I may not be rational enough. And he’s the confidence man. It’s going to take a big con.” 

“I’ll be there in a bit,” said Chris.

Terry hung up and turned back to the men. The cacophony started again with everybody asking what was going on. 

“Quiet!” Actor’s voice cut loudly and sternly through the noise. There was silence. “Now tell us what has happened,” he said more quietly to the girl.

“Craig went in to Norway again. This time he was captured. Gestapo has him. We’re being sent to get him out. I brief with Major Richards in Schaeffer’s office in two hours. “

“And his lady? I assume it is she is who is dead?”

The three men stared at the con man. Nothing surprised Terry anymore.

She nodded. “She’s dead.”

“So, we need to bring her body out,” said Actor with certainty.

“If there is a body,” said Terry. “Are you familiar with Oslo?”

Actor nodded. “It has been a long time though, I am afraid.”

“So, what was the Warden doin’ in Oslo?” asked Casino.

“I don’t know,” replied Terry. “He wouldn’t tell me.” She looked at Actor. “He talked more to you . . .”

Actor shook his head. “He would not discuss Norway, or his lady for that matter.”

“So ‘ow did you know about ‘er?” asked Goniff.

The con man looked at Teresa. “The WREN at the hospital that time you informed the staff I was your husband with multiple children?”

Terry nodded. “That was her.”

The expected banter from the others over that story was not forthcoming. The men were too worried about the lieutenant to throw barbs at the Italian. It was a small relief to both Actor and Terry.

It was an hour before Christine arrived at the Mansion. She hugged her sister and took a seat at the game table.

“Kelly is on his way,” she said. “He should be here in a couple hours.”

Actor was not happy with this supposed plan of them all going in to get the Lieutenant. There were too many people and three of them might not be objective.

“Why do all three of you need to go?” he asked.

Chris looked at Terry. 

The older girl responded. “Because Craig is going to need blood family there when you get him out. And it will probably take all of you to make this rescue happen.”

“Are you not enough?” asked Actor.

Terry knew he was unhappy. She doubted her explanation would improve his frame of mind. “I don’t know what I will be doing once we get him out. There are several different scenarios that I don’t want to discuss until I talk to Major Richards.”

“I will accompany you when you go for briefing,” said Actor.

“Not this time,” said Terry. “There are some things to be discussed you don’t have clearance for.”

Actor’s eyes narrowed. “And since when has my lack of clearance stopped you or the Warden?”

“Since now.” She looked askance at the older man. “I need you, Actor. But this is a whole different ball game. Besides, you’ve planned a mission on the fly more than once.”

“Yes, and I do not appreciate that.” Annoyance was in his voice.

Terry did not want to deal with the increasingly irate con man. She told Chris to make an early supper for the men. They probably would be leaving quickly after she returned from G-2. She left the mansion earlier than necessary and drove to Brandonshire.   
Instead of going straight to G-2, she went to the Fox. Kit was surprised when she walked in and alone. 

“What’s going on?” asked the flame haired girl. “Chris was white as a sheet when she tore out of here.”

“Craig’s been captured. His partner is dead,” said Terry briefly. “Is Shiv here?”

Kit nodded. “He’s in the basement.”

Terry strode into the backroom and her booted feet clattered loudly down the stairs to the basement. Madge looked up in surprise. When Chris had left, she never thought Terry would show up. Shiv was at the worktable in the middle of the basement floor. He watched Terry approach.

“Do we have anybody around Oslo?” she asked.

“Yeah, there’s a cell there. What’s going on?”

“Craig has been going in on some deep cover thing for over a year now. He got tumbled and the Gestapo have him.” Terry frowned.

“So, isn’t the army doing anything about it?” asked Shiv.

“Yes. We’re going in to get him,” replied Terry. “There’s another problem. His partner, a woman, was killed. I want her body. If we wait until we get there, we’ll probably never find her, if she isn’t already buried or dumped somewhere. Can our people try to find her? And let me know how to contact them.” 

She gave him a description of the woman based on the time she had seen her in the hospital. It was all she had to go on, not knowing if she had changed her appearance for the mission. 

The underground leader studied the girl. “You’re taking Chris with you?”

“And Kelly,” said Terry. “Does Chris know about this?” She made a vague motion of her hand to take in the basement.

“So far we’ve kept her out. But she’s worked with OSS and SOE. She probably knows something is going on down here.”

“Do me a favor, and don’t use her.” If they lost Craig, the girl wasn’t about to lose more of her family.

“Wasn’t going to,” said Shiv. “I’m not on her list of good guys.”

“Nicky wasn’t working for you when he was killed,” said Terry. She made a face. “Sorry, Jake. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“It’s okay. I’ve seen too many deaths. I guess I’m getting immune to it.”

Terry looked askance at him. “Do you really get immune?”

“No,” admitted the man.

Madge had not waited for an okay from their leader; she just went ahead and started to contact their cell in Oslo. It would take awhile to get a response. She got a squeeze of her shoulder as Terry walked past and went back upstairs.   
Though it was early, Terry walked across the street and entered the G-2 building. After showing her papers, she went up the marble staircase to Major Schaeffer’s office. Meg looked up with sympathy. 

“Major Richards should be here in a few minutes,” the British girl said. “Terry, I’m sorry.”

Terry nodded and took a seat in the waiting area. She had no desire to spend any more time with Schaeffer than necessary. She almost wished Richards had come to the Mansion to do the briefing. There was one advantage to meeting here, and Terry used it.

“Meg, we have relations with the resistance in Norway, don’t we?”

“Yes.” She gave a halfhearted attempt at a smile. “They are already keeping tabs on the Lieutenant . . . and trying to find the woman’s body.” Meg eyed Terry. “Um, have you made use of some of your contacts?”

Terry’s contacts were Jaguar. She nodded. “I don’t care who finds her, I just want her back. She deserves to be buried on British soil.”

The door from the hall opened and Major Richards strode in. He glanced at Terry and the girl rose and followed him as he pushed into Major Schaeffer’s office without knocking. That did not make the officer happy. 

“Major,” greeted the commando officer brusquely. “Thank you for the use of your office.”

“Major. I would be interested in knowing the reason for your briefing being done here,” said Schaeffer haughtily.

“Because I want there to be more than one contact for them if they need it.”

That took Terry by surprise. 

Richards continued. “There will probably be two parts to this mission. They may have to come out two different ways.”

That was interesting to Terry. Norway was north. The way out was by sub. That meant Norfolk no matter who many parts there were to the mission, and right now she could think of three. The third one was not up for discussion with the army, British or American.

Remaining standing, Richards opened his briefcase and removed papers. Terry and Schaeffer joined him. Richards handed a paper to Terry.

“This is a list of addresses. One is your safe house, one is the woman’s flat, and one is her place of employment.” He did not wait for any questions. “Lt. Garrison is being held at Gestapo headquarters. A Major Engel is coming from Berlin in two days to take Garrison to Berlin. So far the Lieutenant has not been cooperative. He is not even giving them rank and serial number from what we have heard. There is no information on the disposition of Jennifer Harkness’ body. We would like her returned to British soil.”

Terry nodded. “Who is our contact?”

“Knut. He will be meeting you at the drop off. “

“Speak English?” asked Terry.

“A little.” Richards looked at her. “Password: glacier, countersign: fiord.”

Terry nodded. “How do we get out, with and without the body?”

“Knut will arrange pickup for you.”

Schaeffer eyed the Commando major. “And what is my part in this?”

Richards did not like the pompous Brit anymore than Garrison and his crew did. “You will be available to arrange alternative pick up if that becomes necessary.”

Terry looked up. “Any plans for how we are to accomplish this?”

Richards shook his head. “However, you and your second decide to.”

“When do we leave?” asked Terry. 

“A truck will pick you up at 1700. Best accommodations I could find for that many of you.” 

“Anything else, Major?” asked the girl. 

“No.”

Terry nodded. “Thank you, Sir.” She gave a bare nod to Schaeffer. “Major.”

The two officers watched as the young woman folded and tucked the paper inside her shirt, turned and walked away. Richards shook his head. 

“I hope they are successful. The Gestapo will have had Garrison for much more than seventy-two hours by the time they get there.”

Schaeffer did not like the lieutenant at all, but the thought of anyone in the hands of the Gestapo for that long was not good.


	2. Chapter 2

Terry bounded into the Mansion. The first person she saw was Chris sitting on the stairs within reach of the telephone. The younger girl rose at her entrance.

“Kelly here yet?” asked Terry.

Chris nodded. “He’s in the kitchen.”

Actor had risen from his chair and approached the two girls. He was still unhappy. If he was running this mission, he wanted to be at the briefing. There were too many things that were not in his control. The older girl looked up at him.

“Come to the map room,” said Terry. “I need to know where this place in Oslo is.”

Actor and Chris followed Terry into the map room, otherwise known as the library. Actor went to the cupboard, sorted through and pulled out a large street map of Oslo. He spread it out on the table. Chris stood opposite Actor and looked at the map, not comprehending any of the names. Kelly walked in chewing on a piece of bread and a slab of cheese.

“What’s happened to Craig?” he asked.

“He was in deep cover. They tumbled him. Gestapo have him. His partner was killed,” answered Terry, coming to stand beside Actor, looking at the map.

She missed the sharp look of shock on the young boy’s face. Actor saw it and wondered at it. Kelly pulled himself together.

“So, what are we looking for?” asked Christine

“This address,” replied Terry. She laid an address on top of the map. Actor frowned. He traced a street and found the address. He turned dark eyes to Terry.

“Tell me this is not where the Warden has been going,” he said with a bad feeling it was.

“That’s it,” said Terry.

Actor looked at her in anger. “Do you know what this place is?” he demanded.

“No,” said Terry.

Understanding dawned in Actor’s eyes. “Dio, the Lieutenant was in deep cover here?”

Terry took a deep breath and nodded.  
Actor exploded in a string of loud Italian explicatives. He forced himself to settle down to a low rage. “What the hell was he doing in there? He can’t pull something like that off.”

“What is this place?” asked Chris.

An emotionless voice said, “It’s an exclusive cat house. It caters to the high-ranking German officers and anybody with a lot of money and a deviant nature.” The other three turned to stare at Kelly. He grinned bitterly. “I was feeding information into the place. I was there before Craig and sometimes in between. I quit about six months ago. When Jenny got scared, I went in again so there was someone she knew.”

“Just what capacity was the Warden in?” asked Actor dangerously.

Kelly took a slow breath. “Jenny was a maid. She cleaned the upstairs rooms in between . . . clients. Craig was her German born husband. He dealt in Black Market. He would show up at odd times, take orders from the owners, the ‘workers’ and some of the clients. The stuff was delivered after he left.”

“Delivered how?” asked Actor, wanting to know as much about this con as possible.

“He took the list to G-2 and they arranged to have the stuff delivered. G-2 was paying for or providing the stuff. Craig got to know the people and with enough alcohol and getting to trust him, they were more open in what they said about what they did and what was going to happen according to Berlin. We were getting good information out of there, but lately, the clientele started changing and there was less available.”

Actor eyed the young boy. “What kind of goods were being delivered?”

Kelly glanced at his youngest sister uncomfortably but continued. “Special sheets, expensive foods, personal bottles of booze, rubbers” he hesitated. “I guess you would call the paraphernalia sex –toys?”

Actor nodded. Terry was looking at her brother as though she did not know him. Their sister had a confused look.

‘I don’t understand,” said Crystal. “What was the problem? It’s not like Craig hasn’t seen the inside of a brothel before.”

“Sis,” said Kelly quietly. “It’s a male cat house.”

Chris looked at him in shock. “You mean men with men?”

“That is exactly what he means,” said Actor.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” said Chris.

“Not now,” said Terry. She looked at her kid brother. “You speak Norwegian?”

“Sure,” said Kelly. “I speak Norwegian as well as Craig does. I’ve been going in because I speak it and I look like a nice Scandinavian young man.”

“What is the matter with you two?” exclaimed Terry.

Kelly shrugged. “Like I said, we were getting good information out of there for awhile.”

Terry started pacing the floor. She looked up. “What made Jenny think they were going to get tumbled?”

“I’m not sure she actually thought it through as being tumbled. The – um – tastes of the clients got worse, shall we say, and she was having trouble dealing with that.”

“Worse how?” asked Actor.

“They had young boys forced into prostitution. Jenny couldn’t handle the kids being forced to do these acts.” Kelly looked at Actor and straightened. “Not saying you did any of this, but you were in stir. You know the type of things that go on.”

“No, I did not participate in that,” said the confidence man firmly. He sighed. “And yes, I do know what you are talking about.”

“Well, there’s more,” said Kelly.

“What?” asked Terry with dread.

“Craig started trying after the last time he was in to get the Brass to pull them both. Army refused. He worked his way up the ladder with documentation and appeals. It wasn’t until now, he was sent in to get Jenny out.”

Now things were starting to make sense. Terry looked at Actor. “That’s why he was angry all the time. He was locked in his office writing ‘appeals’. One for you and one for her.”

Actor nodded slowly. “And he was able to get me, but not her.” Now his mind started to work the beginnings of a plan. He looked at the young boy who was no longer a boy. “Kelly, show me on this map where Gestapo headquarters for that area is. I want to know what is in a two mile radius of the – establishment.”

Kelly pushed Terry out of the way and got shoulder-to-shoulder with the con man. He began pointing out sites such as the Gestapo, Jenny’s apartment, supply warehouses, police stations and anything else the Italian asked about.

Christine walked around the table to join her sister. “Why would Craig even consent to doing something like that in a place like that? I don’t understand.”

“Because he loves to pull a good con. He’s just as bad as they are.” She aimed a thumb at Actor.

The con man’s head shot up. “I beg your pardon!” said Actor defensively.

“I meant that as a compliment, caro,” said Terry soothingly. She thought a second and frowned at her kid brother. “And just what exactly were you doing in there?”

“I made the regular deliveries; food, towels, light bulbs,” replied Kelly. “I’ve been throughout the whole place.”

A devious smile came to Terry’s face. “So, you know the layout of the place.”

“As far as I can see, we will have no need to go there,” said Actor firmly. He did not like the tone of the girl’s voice.

The con man studied the map and tried to memorize the locations that would be important to them. He asked Kelly a few more questions before turning his attention to Terry.

“How are we going in?” he asked.

“Sub out of Norfolk. We leave here in an hour,” said the girl, checking her watch.

“They will probably land us at Fredrikstad,” he said aloud. “Resistence?”

Terry nodded. “Knut is our contact. Code word glacier. Countersign fiord.”

“Probably take us up to Oslo by boat or truck.” Actor shook his head. This was insane, but they had been in worse situations. “Alright, let’s brief with the others. I want to hear the rest of this without repeating it.”

Chris went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for her brother and sister. She had fed the other men already with leftovers she had found in the refrigerator. She assumed her part in this mission was to take care of Craig when they got him out. Not getting him out was not an option and she had a lot of faith in Actor and the other men.

Terry let Actor lead the way to Garrison’s office. He motioned for the other men to come along. She and Kelly followed. Kelly had never worked with the con man or the others. He would have to follow his sister’s lead. 

Actor took Garrison’s chair at the head of the table. Terry took a chair to his right. Kelly sat on the corner of Craig’s desk and watched the other men take seats.

Actor started with what he knew. “Garrison was in deep cover in Oslo. He was tumbled. The Gestapo have him. His partner was killed. We will be taken by sub to Norway and be met by a resistance man. From the coast we will be taken to Oslo. We know where Gestapo headquarters is. We must get him out before they move him.”

“Or kill him,” added Kelly.

Actor glanced at the boy. “Or kill him.” He turned his attention to Teresa. “Is there anything more you can add?”

Terry nodded. “There is a Major Engel coming to take Craig to Berlin in two days. I assume he is SS.”

“We will have to intercept this major and take his place,” said Actor.

Chris entered the room with two plates of sandwiches. She handed one to Kelly and placed the other on the table beside Terry. The youngest Garrison girl went to sit in the chair in front of Craig’s desk.

“There’s another part to this,” said Terry.

“There always is,” muttered Casino.

“We need to find the woman’s body and bring her out.”

“We gotta bring a stiff out?” exclaimed the safecracker.

“She isn’t a ‘stiff’!” yelled Chris. “She was a sweet woman.”

Actor did not like that part of it either, but he understood it and would follow through if at all possible. He watched Terry’s face change.

“If we can find her, we will bring her out,” said Terry with a deadly voice. “Am I clear to you, Casino?”

“Yeah,” said Casino, clearly unhappy.

Terry turned to Chief. “Can you handle this?” She knew of the superstitions about the dead in the Blackfoot and Lakota tribes. She did not know about the Apache.

“Don’t like it,” said the Indian, “but yeah, I can handle it.”

“Goniff?”

“I don’t like dead bodies,” admitted the Cockney, “but if she was British, then she needs to be brought home.”

Terry looked at the tall Italian. “It’s all yours, Actor.”

The con man eyed her with distrust. He knew her well enough now to know there would be something that wasn’t ‘all his.’ He had an idea what that might be and he did not like it. Somehow, in the middle of all this mess, he would have to stop the girl and presumably some of her family. Kelly was an unknown entity. He would have to work closely with the boy. Naturally, thought Actor, it had to be in a country whose language he was not fluent in. 

“All right,” said the Italian. “Get your gear together. Civilian clothes. We will pick up uniforms in Oslo.”

The table cleared, except for Teresa.

“Actor?”

“What?” His tone was irritated. “Something you forgot to mention?”

Terry knew he was angry and it was justified. She nodded. “I contacted one of the groups I go in with. They have a cell in that area. The resistance and this other group are both looking for Jenny’s – body.” She got up and walked toward the door.

“And who is this other group?” Actor’s arms were folded in front of him.

The girl stopped and half turned to look back at him. “There are some things I just can’t tell you, caro. There are things you are better off not knowing.” It was said apologetically. She continued out of the room.

Kelly had stood up. He watched the interplay between his sister and this man. The con man’s attention turned to him.

“Do you have anything to add?” asked Actor sarcastically.

“You’re in charge. You lead, I’ll follow. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

Actor sucked in both cheeks. “You are a Garrison. I doubt that very much.”

The two youngest Garrisons watched the man stride out the door. Kelly looked at his sister.

“That man is seriously pissed off,” remarked the blond boy.

“Sometimes he still scares me,” admitted Chris.

“Just stay out of the way and let me and Terry handle it.”

Chris shook her head. “I don’t think you and Terry together can handle Actor. He’s Craig’s second. Terry’s been in with him before. It wasn’t good. But he is more than capable. Maybe we should both stay out of his way.”

Kelly knew that wasn’t going to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

The air was biting cold, making sitting in the rubber rafts on open water uncomfortable. They were packed tightly together in two rafts. Even the close quarters did nothing to stop the chill cutting through clothes to skin and bones. The only sound was the occasional slapping of water against the rubber sides.

A light blinked on and off from some indistinguishable place on shore. A torch was blinked back from the front of the lead raft. This was always the touchy part. One never knew if the signal was from the contact or if the resistance had been compromised and it was a trick of the Gestapo to lure the group in for capture.

Actor was in the back of the first raft. He had split the Garrison siblings up so at least one or more of them had a chance for escape if it was a trap. Kelly was sticking with the Italian. He was quiet and followed what few orders were given without any objection. Their raft made shore first. The second raft remained back to see what the reception would be.

Two men met Actor on the stony beach front.  
“Glacier.”

“Fiord.”

Actor motioned for the other raft to land. He turned back to the shorter blond man who introduced himself in a whisper as Knut. Actor introduced himself only and watched the occupants of the other raft disembark. When they were all together, he looked back at the Norwegian.

“Come,” said Knut in heavily accented English. “We have a truck waiting. We will take you to a safe house.”

They filed, spaced apart, over the broken rocks up a sharp rise into trees. Actor was in the lead behind Knut. Kelly had taken the place behind him, followed by the rest, ending with Chief, who stayed at the rear with the other resistance man. The black capped man held a rifle at the ready, constantly scanning the sides and behind the group. Chief held a handgun in his left hand to keep his right hand free if the knife became necessary.

They emerged from trees to an empty dirt road. A large delivery truck was parked to the side. Knut opened the rear doors. There were wooden boxes stacked on either side with a space for the people to get to the front of the truck. Actor stood aside as the others climbed in. Kelly stayed with him.

The Garrison boy turned to Knut and spoke in a low voice. Actor listened to the exchange between the two, only recognizing about one word in ten; not enough to know what Kelly was asking or what the answer was. The boy nodded and turned to Actor.  
“It’s a twenty-minute ride. There are no checkpoints between here and there.”

Actor nodded. Good information to know. If they stopped within that timeframe, it would probably mean trouble. He motioned the boy into the truck and followed him. The doors were closed, plunging them into darkness that lightened to a heavy dimness as their eyes adjusted to what little light came in through the window between the back and the cab. The silence was broken by a loud sniff.

“Don’t these people carry anything but fish?” complained Casino.

That brought quiet chuckles from the others.

“Sorry, I just stepped in,” apologized Kelly to Actor in a whisper.

“That was fine,” replied the con man.

Actor was surprised, not by Kelly taking the initiative, but by his sister being silent the longest he could remember. Had he managed to intimidate her again? Actor doubted it. He was more inclined to think she would come out with something not to his liking before this was done.

They arrived at an empty lodge, five miles outside of Oslo. It was recessed from the rural road and half hidden in trees. It was large enough and secluded enough for the seven people. The back of the truck was opened, and the men and women climbed out. They followed Knut inside the house and were met by a younger blond man named Milo. He would be their contact throughout the mission, and he had bad news.

Milo spoke some English, but again, not well. Kelly moved up to translate.

“I am sorry,” said Milo, “but things have moved faster than expected. Major Engel arrived this evening. They are taking Lt. Garrison to Berlin in the morning.”

Kelly translated. A chill ran through both him and Actor.

“When and how?” asked Actor.

“A plane will be arriving at ten o’clock. They will transport him in an ambulance. He was worked over pretty badly.” Milo looked at the taller man who was the leader. “You will have to intercept them on the road to the airport.”

“Does he have a map?” asked Actor for Kelly to translate. “And can he get us some German uniforms?”

Kelly translated. Milo led them to a long wooden table with a kerosene lamp and a bottle of wine on it. A map was unfolded, and the resistance man followed the roads with his finger from Gestapo headquarters to the airport outside of town. Actor noted there was a five mile stretch of small road connecting the main highway to the airport. This was where they had to make the interception.

The young Garrison boy spoke rapid Norwegian with English words translating key words so Actor could follow. The con man’s keen mind came up with a plan as the conversation progressed. He asked about the safety of the house they were in when they got Garrison. As long as the Germans did not follow them, it would be safe. As far as anyone was aware, the Germans did not know about the safe house or the identities and locations of the resistance men.

“We will have to move quickly,” said Actor. “I want to be in location before sunrise. It will be a wait, but we will be less likely to be observed going in.”

“How many of you are going?” asked the resistance man.

“Four,” replied Actor. “He was not going to take the Garrisons with him. The girls would be in the way and look suspicious if they were stopped.

Kelly looked at the con man. “You sure about four? What if you run into Norwegians?”

“We will be dressed as Germans. I speak German and English. I will have no need to know or speak Norwegian.” Actor lessened his stern demeanor. “Besides, you have been seen in the club. You could possibly be recognized.”

Kelly nodded, satisfied with the answer. Milo left to get uniforms and a vehicle.

Motioning the other men to come to the table, Actor started the briefing. He already had the plan firmly in his mind. The others were told of their roles and what they would be doing. When he finished the briefing, Actor turned to the two girls. They were standing apart, but Teresa was close enough to hear and see what the plan was.

“You two will stay here with Kelly until we return with Garrison,” said Actor. “You will allow us to get the Warden and bring him here. We will have to wait until the night to catch the sub back to England.” He looked hard at Teresa. “You will not come with us or follow us, Teresa. Understood.”

“Understood,” replied the girl.

Actor had expected an argument. That he had not received one was an added worry. The woman definitely had an agenda he was not aware of. There was nothing to be done about that now and worrying about it would detract from his attention to the mission. He motioned for Chief to take the watch.

An hour and a half passed before Milo returned with duffle bags full of uniforms. Another man waited outside with the two vehicles. One would be left with the cons and the other used to return the resistance men to Oslo. Terry slipped outside and told Chief to go in and she would take watch. Not expecting anything strange from the girl, he did as she said. 

Kelly came outside when he saw his sister was not there. Terry was standing by one of the cars, trying to mime what she wanted to say to the man who spoke no English. The younger boy walked up.

“What?” he asked.

“Ask him to come back and get me after the others have gone,” said Terry.

Kelly eyed his sister. “Actor told you not to follow.”

“I’m not going to be following,” said Terry. “I have a contact I have to meet in Oslo.”

“What kind of contact?” asked Kelly suspiciously.

Terry shook her head. “A different group. And what Actor doesn’t know won’t make him mad.”

So much for any notion the boy had there was a something going on between his sister and the confidence man. Well, he knew Terry was mixed up in stuff he wasn’t. Better he didn’t know either, just like she didn’t know about some of the things he and his two friends were into. Like a dutiful younger brother, he translated for Terry too.

Actor, dressed as a major in the SS, led the other uniform-clad men out to the waiting car. He watched the girl go back into the house without a word to him. Kelly slipped into the trees to take up the watch.

With Chief driving, the four men got into one of the cars and followed the other with the two resistance men away from the house and headed toward Oslo. The two cars turned onto the main road that circled the city. At a fork, the resistance men took the road into the city and Chief continued on to catch the main road to the airport. They did not see the car turn around and head back they way they had come.

Naturally, there had to be a roadblock. With no papers, Actor bluffed their way through as usual. He already had a con in mind for the return trip if necessary. The airport was out in the country. A smaller paved road turned off to the left and they followed that for another two miles before pulling off into a dirt track with a high middle ridge of grass, indicating it wasn’t heavily traveled, if at all. The sky was barely beginning to lighten. Now they waited, Chief and Casino taking turns watching the road.

GGGGG

Kelly quickly let himself into the house and took a stance by the window, watching. 

“Car coming.”

Terry reached up and pulled the fisherman’s cap off the blond head and tucked her hair up into it. Chris sighed.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I have to meet somebody,” the older girl said vaguely.

“And what are we supposed to tell Actor?” Chris asked.

“Nothing,” said Terry. “I’ll be back before they are.” She looked at the boy. “Kelly?”

“Yeah, your taxi’s here,” he said. “Want to tell us where you’re going in case you don’t come back?”

Terry shook her head. “If I don’t come back, I won’t be coming back.” She slipped out the door and down the wooden steps.

The youngest siblings exchanged looks. Kelly waited until the car had gone.

“Get some sleep, Sis,” he said. “You’re going to be busy when they get Craig back here.”

He let himself out to take the watch back up.

GGGGG

There was no traffic going to the little airport. Actor waited until nine o’clock before moving the car back onto the narrow road at an angle so nothing could pass them because of the close proximity of trees on each side. Goniff took up the watch with Casino so Chief could open the hood in anticipation of pretending to be working on the engine when the ambulance arrived.

A little over a half hour later, Casino gave the whistle after spotting the ambulance coming up the road. He and Goniff disappeared into the woods on either side of the car. Actor paced back and forth in the road, while Chief’s head and upper body were hidden under the hood. 

The ambulance slowed and stopped, maintaining a short distance between the two vehicles. The passenger door opened and a German officer in the uniform of a major stepped out and approached Actor with an air of annoyance and urgency.  
“Move this vehicle at once!” he shouted at Actor.

“And how would you suggest I do that?” snarled the con man. “I would be happy to be on my way if this imbecile I have for a driver could fix it.” The men were of equal rank so Actor had no problem with lack of respect. He glanced at the ambulance. “Do you have an emergency?”

“I have to meet a plane,” barked Major Engel.

“Well, I am sure your plane will wait for you,” said Actor with a sneer.

He watched Casino come out of the trees and sneak up to the open window of the driver’s door. The safecracker pointed his pistol at the driver and motioned him to get out. When the sound of the door opening reached the major, the man turned in more annoyance to see why his driver was leaving the ambulance. Actor’s hand chopping across his neck sent him to the ground, unconscious. The driver hesitated for a split second at the unexpectedness of the attack on his officer and gave Casino the chance to smash the butt of his pistol against the back of the man’s head, dropping him to the ground. Casino dragged him over to sprawl beside Engel. 

Chief and Casino tied them up with rope from the back of the car. The trunk was opened, and the men were lifted and wedged unceremoniously into the space. Goniff was standing beside the back doors of the ambulance out of sight of the windows. Actor strode up and slapped the door with his hand.

“Out! Quickly!” he ordered in German. “The Major has collapsed. He needs medical attention!”

Hesitantly the door opened and a dark-haired man in an orderly’s coat peered out.

“Come! Now!” ordered Actor imperiously.

The hapless man stared at the runes on Actor’s collar that were SS, like the major, and hastened to jump down. He started around the end of the ambulance but stopped when he could see there was no officer anywhere. Goniff attempted to hit him with the butt of his pistol, but the man jerked around in that instance and gun grazed his shoulder instead. The orderly strong-armed the Englishman into Actor and started to run. He stopped suddenly, looked down and folded up onto the ground. 

Chief and Casino ran over. The Indian rolled the body over and retrieved his knife from the dead man’s chest, wiping it on the uniform. Casino just shook his head and helped Chief drag the man to the car.

Actor, unhappy with the unplanned killing, pushed past Goniff, ignoring the Cockney’s apology, and climbed into the back of the ambulance. The light was dim, but strong enough for him to see the battered, bloody mess that was Lt. Garrison lying on a stretcher, wrists and ankles handcuffed.

“Warden?” asked Actor slowly. “Can you hear me?”

“Actor?” asked Garrison slowly and uncertainly.

“Yes,” replied Actor, gently laying a hand on the officer’s shoulder. “You mind taking a little detour back to England?”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” said Garrison weakly.

“Casino!” Actor called out.

The safecracker appeared at the back door. “He okay?” 

“He’s alive,” replied Actor. “Get these cuffs off of him.”

The con man moved as close to the wall as he could so Casino could get in. The cracksman spit his spring steel into his hand and had the cuffs open almost instantly.

“Hang on, Babe,” Casino said to the lieutenant. “This’ll be more comfortable.”

“Nothing’s comfortable,” mumbled Garrison.

Casino shot a startled look at Actor. The con man moved past him, not wanting to say anything in front of the officer. Both were concerned with the condition the man was in physically and mentally.

“Stay with him,” said Actor. “Where did you put the body?”

“He’s dead. We stuffed him behind the front seat. He ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

Actor nodded and jumped down from the back of the ambulance and shut the doors. Chief and Goniff were waiting for him at the front of the vehicle. Actor motioned Chief to get in the driver’s seat.

“Goniff drive the car down that dirt track and into the trees if possible. I don’t want they found for a long time,” instructed Actor.

The blond man nodded and ran to the car. Actor got into the front of the ambulance beside Chief.

“Can you back this thing up and turn it around in the track we came out of?”

“Sure,” said Chief. Using the mirrors, he backed down the road. “He okay?”

“They have worked him over badly,” said Actor. “I won’t know how badly until we reach the safe house.”

Chief backed into the entrance of the dirt track and turned the ambulance to face the opposite direction. He pulled back onto the road and stopped. The car backed up to him, turned and went down the track. A short time later, the quicksilver second-story man came running back and climbed in the ambulance with Casino and the Lieutenant.

Eyes darting from front to both side mirrors, watching for a tail, Chief spoke in a low voice to Actor. “How we gonna get past those guards?”

“The same way we got past them earlier,” said the con man, hiding his concern for the man in the back and their return to the safe house. “They should be expecting the ambulance to return to Oslo. There would be a different officer on than there was going.”  
“Yeah, but they seen us both,” said Chief.

“Hopefully they will have changed shifts.”

Traffic had picked up on the larger main road. There was a line three deep in the opposite lane waiting to be passed through the barricade. Only one car was ahead of the ambulance in their lane. The soldiers were scurrying to get the impatient drivers through before tempers really flared. 

Chief pulled up and glanced stoically at the Wehrmacht soldier who looked up at him. Actor leaned over and gave the man his stern sneer.

“Let us through,” he ordered. “We are in a hurry.”

“Your papers, Herr Major,” said the guard dutifully.

“Sofort!” barked Actor. “I am SS. Let us through.”

The corporal looked in question at his approaching Leutnant. Told to expect the return of the ambulance, the lower ranked officer was not about to annoy a superior officer in the Waffen-SS. He waved the vehicle through. 

The barricade was lifted and Chief drove past. It never ceased to amaze him how Actor and the power of the runes on his collar could bluff them through with little or no difficulty. He continued on to the road taking them toward the safe house.  
Actor turned in the seat and slapped the back of the cab. Casino’s face appeared at the small wired window.

“How is the Warden doing?” asked Actor.

Casino glanced down and back before answering. “He’s okay. He’s just a little worn out.”

Actor took that to mean, the officer wasn’t doing too well. He nodded and turned back in his seat. There was nothing to be done until they reached the relative safety of the lodge.

A car was approaching from the opposite direction as they neared the turn to the safe house. Chief never changed speed, but continued past. He drove a quarter of a mile down the road until he found a place to turn around. The road was clear this time when they reached the turn.

Kelly stepped out of the trees as the ambulance backed up to the front of the house. Actor and Chief got out of the front and opened the doors to the back of the ambulance. The front door of the lodge house opened and both Garrison girls stepped out on the porch to watch in worried anticipation.

Goniff climbed down and took the handles of the foot of the stretcher. Casino had the head and they carefully moved Garrison out of the ambulance. Actor closed the back doors and motioned Chief to go. The Indian drove off to hide the big vehicle.

The girls took in the bloodied body of their older brother, before holding the door back to make room for the stretcher to get inside.

“Oh my,” murmured Chris with quiet distress.

Terry was thinking something a little stronger.


	4. Chapter 4

Garrison was carried into one of the bedrooms. At Actor’s direction, the stretcher was laid atop the bed. Goniff scurried to get a basin of warm water. Chief got towels. The man on the bed turned his head to survey the people with him. Terry and Actor were standing at his left. Casino was by his feet. The surprise was when Christine sat gingerly on the bed to his right.

“You’re here too, Chris?” he asked.

“Me and Kelly,” replied the girl. 

She motioned Casino to move a chair beside her so Goniff could put the water within reach. Chief returned and handed her some towels.

Garrison looked up at his second in confusion. “There’s seven of you?”

An insincere smile spread across the Italian’s face. “Not by my choice,” he said.

Garrison was having a hard time grasping anything except what was uppermost in his mind. He turned to his middle sister.

“They killed her,” he said.

“I know,” said the girl softly and gently.

“I don’t know what they did with her,” he was becoming agitated. “We have to find her. We have to bring her back to England.”

Goniff set the basin of water on the chair and stepped back beside Casino.

“Warden, how are we gonna do that?” said the safecracker. “We don’t have a clue where she is.”

Christine began washing the blood from her brother’s face.

Terry knew there was going to be a big problem with Actor, but it couldn’t be helped.

“We can’t bring her back,” she said gently. “She was buried last night. I know where she is. Until this war is over, let her rest in peace. We can’t dig her up, Craig.”

As expected, Actor turned angry eyes on the woman beside him. “And how do you suddenly know all of this?”

“I met with some contacts I have while you were gone.” Terry looked up and did not back down from the hazel eyes that could have thrown sparks.

“Buried?” questioned Garrison in disbelief.

“I’m afraid so, Brother,” said Terry.

Garrison seemed to withdraw into himself. 

Actor was livid. “After I told you to stay here, you left anyway?” he demanded answers from the girl.

Terry wasn’t cowed by the bulging eyes this time. “You told me I couldn’t follow you. I didn’t follow you.”

Garrison was trying to understand this argument. Christine was trying to clean him up and see what damage had been done. She did not like the tone of voice of either her sister or the con man.

“And just who are these contacts?” demanded Actor.

Terry looked up at him defiantly. “There are two cells that work this area. Before we left England, I was able to get word to the one we weren’t using. And who they are is not something I can discuss with you.”

“Of course not,” scoffed the tall man. “I don’t know why you even bothered to allow us to come along.”

“Stop it! Both of you!” said Chris sharply. “If you two are going to fight, take it out of this room.”

Terry turned away from Actor, effectively dismissing him. He, in turn, was fighting to control his temper. It was not lost on him that this woman was the only one who could make him lose control.

Goniff scurried out of the room and went outside. Taking the watch was safer than staying in the house with those two. He found Kelly and took the rifle from him.

“Thanks,” said the boy. He had wondered if anyone was going to remember that Craig was his brother too. The pickpocket looked anxious. Maybe that was his normal look, but this seemed more intense. “What’s going on?” 

“Your sister and Actor got into a row,” said Goniff.

Kelly shook his head. “Has to be Terry.”

“Chris ‘as ‘er knickers in a wad too.”

Great, thought the boy. He had been afraid of that when Terry had taken off on her own. And he was afraid it would get worse before they got Craig back to England. He walked into the house and stood by the door to the bedroom. The tension in the room came in waves.

Terry concentrated on her older brother, watching as Actor examined him around Christine’s ministrations. Garrison’s face and torso were battered. He seemed to have some difficulty moving his arms. They had probably strung him up by his wrists. There were abrasions around both of them. This could not be ignored. Terry’s anger took on the deadly quiet that few besides family had seen.

“Who sold her out?” asked Terry.

Craig turned his slightly less bloody face toward his middle sister, preventing the younger one from cleaning him up. He knew instinctively what she was after and trusted her to get it done.

“Name’s Alex. Alexander Holt,” he managed to get out. “British double agent.”

Terry nodded. “What’s he look like?”

“Teresa,” objected Actor, knowing where she was going with this.

He was ignored by the woman. Garrison shot a look at his second, but it was hard to tell what he was trying to express through the mess of his face.

Garrison swallowed. “Six foot. Brown hair, brown eyes, nondescript. Would have made a good con man. Doesn’t look like an agent. Kelly might know him.” Craig fought for control again. He reached a hand out toward his second. “Actor.”

“Yes, Warden?” said the con man soothingly.

“We have to get him,” said Craig. “We can’t let him get away with this. We can’t let him get away with killing her.”

“Easy,” said Actor, trying to calm the man. “Our priority right now is getting you back to England. Let SOE take care of him.”

“No!” Garrison became more agitated. “If you let him get away, they’ll never find him! You can’t let him get away with it!

“He won’t,” said Terry calmly. 

Craig turned his head to look at his sister. Kelly came to stand beside her.

“We’ll get him,” said Kelly steadily. “I know him.”

“And we’ll take care of that filthy place while we’re at it,” added Terry. “You let Actor and the guys take you back to England. Kelly and I will take care of this Alex person.”

She lightly squeezed her brother’s hand, turned and walked into the main room. Kelly followed her and she knew Actor was on their heels.

“Actor?”  
Craig’s voice made the confidence man stop. He was torn between staying with the officer and confronting Teresa. Garrison won out. Actor returned to stand beside the man, head cocked, waiting. Chris had gone back to cleaning the blood away.

“Don’t fight them on this,” said Garrison.

Actor shook his head. The younger man must have a worse head injury than he thought. This was not how an army officer would think. It was not how this army officer would think. 

“Warden,” he said quietly. “We were able to get you out and we are still not in the clear. You wish to take the risk of losing you sister and brother now?”

“It’s family, Actor, and more than that,” said Craig. “Alex is selling the Allies out. He has to be stopped.”

Actor sighed in frustration. “What do you wish for? A hit to be taken out on him? Can either of your siblings do that? Seriously, Warden?”

Christine was the one who answered, and her voice was coldly firm. “It’s family, Actor. We can do anything we have to for family.” 

They were all nuts! Actor turned and stormed out of the bedroom, leaving Chief and Casino to help the girl clean the Warden up. Like Goniff, neither wanted to be in close proximity to the Italian and Terry.

The con man was barely controlling his anger again. “Teresa, I object to you going through with this insane plan of yours. You will only get yourself killed. I know you are angry, but this is not worth it. We have the Warden. He will heal. Why, Teresa?”

“Of all people, you should know that. You’re Italian, damn it! It’s vendetta di sangue!”

“Teresa, that is for the dead. The Lieutenant is not dead. And as much as I sympathize about the young woman, she is not family.”

Kelly sucked in his cheeks. In a quiet voice, he said, “Yes, she is.”

The two stared at him.

“What do you mean?” asked Terry in confusion.

“Craig couldn’t let anyone know except me. The Brass would have nailed both of them. He married her in Oslo a little over a month ago.”

“What?” said Actor in disbelief.

“Madre del Dio.” Terry was counting back. “That was about the time we were getting Actor back.”

Pushing that aside, the Italian said. “I still do not want you going in there, Teresa.”

“I’m going. If it were your family, what would you do?”

“That is entirely different.”

“Why? You know more about setting explosives than I do? You think there’s nobody to care what happens to you if things go wrong?”

The problem was he did understand. And he would have done the same thing. With that, he backed down. “Take Casino. At least he knows how to blow up a building.”

Terry nodded. She took the con man by the arm and led him away from the others. He frowned.

“Take Craig home. Get my brother out of here. I trust you to take care of him.” Terry looked up at him. “And know something else, caro mio, you are family too. Maybe not legally, but you are. And we would have done the same for you if we could have.”

“Merda,” he said softly. 

Actor knew his arguments were lost now. He shook his head and left her standing there to go back into the bedroom. Pausing just inside the room, he caught Casino’s eye. The safecracker looked warily back at him. Actor motioned with his head for the explosives expert to go talk to Terry. Casino gave the confidence man a worried look as he passed. 

Chief came up and said quietly, “Want me to go with them?”

“No,” said Actor. “We may need you to help get the Warden out.”

Chief went back to his corner and watched Actor approach the bed on the opposite side as the youngest girl.

Garrison looked up at his second, the man he trusted not only with his life, but those of his family. “What?”

“I am leaving Casino behind with Teresa and Kelly. Someone must help them, and we need to get you to England. Norway is not safe for you anymore.”

“Never was,” muttered Craig. He stiffly reached a hand out to Actor. The con man took it and Garrison squeezed it. “Thank you.”

Actor sincerely hoped that the officer would be of the same frame of mind when this was over.

Casino stopped in front of Terry and looked between her and Kelly. “What did you blackmail him with?” asked the safecracker. “You had tuh have blackmailed him for him to go along with this.”

Terry only shook her head. Casino didn’t figure he’d ever get an answer to that one. But he would have never figured the girl would be able to change Actor’s mind and let them stay.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked.

Kelly deferred to his older sister. Terry’s demeanor changed from family to military.

“First we have to find a new safe house in Oslo. Then we stake out the ‘club’ and watch for this Alex person.”

“You want me to off him?” asked Casino.

“No, not unless we have to.”

“So whadda you going to do with him?”

“We’ll see,” said Terry. “We have to catch him first.” She eyed their explosives man. “How are you at blowing up a two-story building?”

A grin spread across Casino’s face. Now they were talking his language.

GGG

Garrison slept fitfully throughout the afternoon with Actor and Christine in attendance. From what the con man could ascertain, the lieutenant had a concussion, strained shoulders that miraculously had not dislocated, broken ribs, and multiple abrasions and contusions. And his mental status was not up to his normal calm and unemotional way of dealing with things. Granted the man had reason to be upset, but it was still unlike the Warden to react in this manner. Actor would get him checked out on the sub, but placing him in a hospital was out of the question. His behavior might result in the medical staff reporting him as unfit for duty from a psychological standpoint.

Actor glanced across the bed at the youngest Garrison girl. Chris would not leave her brother’s side, but she also refrained from any conversation with the con man. In fact, she would not even look at him. He doubted she was afraid of him anymore, but the interaction with Teresa may have caused her distrust of him to flare up again. Despite not having her sister’s medical background, she seemed competent enough to take care of the lieutenant. And Actor knew his own medical background was enough to get them through.

Milo showed up again after dark. He was apprised of the change in plans. Kelly talked to the resistance man in Norwegian and then told Actor, in English, what the plan was for getting Garrison and the others out. Actor was fine with the plan as it was much the same as he had expected. They would go out the same way they had come in and rendezvous with the sub at midnight. The only worrisome part was Garrison would have to sit up in the raft and until they could get him into the sub.

The delivery truck was backed up to the house. The lights were put out inside and Garrison was taken to the truck on the stretcher. He was awake and fairly alert when Actor and Chief carried him from the bedroom. Craig looked for his other two siblings. Terry moved up beside him and gently touched his arm. 

“Be careful,” was the only admonishment Craig gave to the three who were remaining behind.

“We’ll see you in a couple days,” assured Terry.

When the truck was well away, the three in the house secured the windows and lit a lamp. Casino took the watch and Kelly stretched out on one of the beds to get some sleep before the truck returned to take them to a new safe house in the city.

GGG

In the back of the truck, there was silence. Goniff had Crystal tucked up against him. Chief and Actor stayed close to the lieutenant and listened for any signs of trouble from the cab or outside. They were behind the boxes of fish, and some of the boxes had been stacked to disguise the path to the front of the truck. There were reports of roving bands of Wehrmacht stopping vehicles in the hopes of finding resistance bands.

The trip started out fine, if only a little cold in the back of the vehicle from the iced boxes of fish. Garrison, lying on the stretcher on the floor, had fallen into a state of heavy sleep or unconsciousness. Actor kept a hand on the man’s arm. He could not see the Warden well in the dim light and wanted to catch him if he awakened with a groan.

The vehicle rounded a curve and the brakes slammed on, shifting everything and everybody forward. Garrison woke with a start but kept silent. Actor, Chief and Goniff drew their guns and waited anxiously. German voices were heard moving alongside the truck. There was the sound of the slide being drawn back on the doors. Everyone held their breaths as the doors were pulled open. 

“Move those boxes,” the Leutnant said in German.

Milo attempted in halting German to explain they were just boxes of fish. A gun pointed at his head, stopped that in mid-sentence. He climbed up and began to restack boxes, trying to avoid uncovering the path to the hidden people. The Leutnant would have none of that. He indicated with his gun which boxes to move.

Actor motioned Christine to lie down beside her brother. A shootout in the truck seemed to be inevitable. He would have expected what would happen next if it had been Teresa. Instead of stretching out on the floor, Chris touched Actor’s shoulder and stood up, hands held high, shaking in fear.

“Please! Don’t shoot me!” she cried out in German.

A torch was shown on her face. 

“Please,” she said again. “This man was trying to help me. My husband was killed by the resistance. His family hates me because I am German. They are going to kill me. They blame me for Georg getting killed. I am trying to get to Denmark. I have a brother in Copenhagen. Please, don’t hurt us.”

The four men in the back waited with guns ready. Actor was sure this would end in shooting. The girl was playing the role perfectly. Astonishing that she could come up with a con on her own. Maybe, just maybe, this would work. The next problem would be Chief. The Indian had a gun in one hand and his blade in the other. He was tense, sitting on his heels, balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to spring up. Actor knew, if not the others, that Christine was important to him. More important than they let on. 

The German lieutenant motioned her to come to him. Instead of moving the boxes, Chris climbed over the tops of them. She jumped down without assistance. The torch was played up and down her over her patched pants and woolen sweater.

“Why are you dressed like that?” asked the officer cagily.

“I am going on a fishing boat. They thought it better if I could look like a fisherman.” For emphasis, she reached up and pulled the cap from Milo’s head, hastily tucking her long hair into it and placing it on her head.

Even dressed as she was, in pants and sweater, there was no mistaking she was a young woman; a young woman with no family here. The Leutnant smiled a crocodile smile of anticipation.

“You will come with us, fräulein,” he said.

Actor gave a wave of his hand and the three stood, firing their guns. Milo had anticipated such an action from the men and grabbed the girl by the arm, yanking her out of the way. Goniff almost went down, but remained standing and shooting. The Leutnant fell and Chris grabbed his gun, firing at the soldiers who were still standing. It was over in a matter of seconds and the ensuing silence was loud. 

“Christine, get back in here!” ordered Actor. 

Milo gave her a leg up before running around to get in the cab. The truck took off with a jerk as Chris was climbing back over the boxes, knocking her off balance. Actor pulled her down beside him.

“Are you all right?” asked Actor.

“Fine.”

“I would tell you to not ever do that again,” said Actor in frustrated anger, “but I would get just as far talking to one of these fish, or your sister.”

Now that Garrison knew his youngest sister was unhurt, he watched his second. Actor would never be the same after this mission was over. 

Goniff slid down to sit on the floor, clutching his right upper arm. The movement drew Chief’s attention from the girl. 

“Goniff’s hit,” he said.

Actor’s head snapped toward the Cockney. “Bad?”

With the girl there, Goniff was not his usual complaining self. “Think it just took a chunk out o’ me arm.”

Chris stepped over her brother and crouched beside the Englishman. She reached a hand back and wiggled her fingers. Actor’s white handkerchief was slapped into her palm. She wrapped it around his arm and tied it firmly to slow the bleeding.

“I’m sorry, Goniff,” Chris apologized to him.

“Not your fault, Love,” said the Cockney. “It was a good try.”

The truck was bouncing along at a fast speed now, making standing difficult. Actor sat back on his heels beside Garrison.

“Are you all right, Warden?” Actor asked. “And do not tell me you are fine.”

“I’ll make it,” said Garrison. 

“Good.” Actor muttered to himself in Italian, “Because I might not.”

Craig did not know what his second was saying, but the mood of the man was unmistakable. It brought a brief tiny smile to the officer’s face, before he sank back into the grief that had enveloped him.


	5. Chapter 5

Trying to carry Garrison down the rocky escarpment to the rendezvous point on the stony beach was a trial. Actor had the head of the stretcher out of necessity and Chief had the foot and the lead. Christine helped Goniff as best as he would let her while she watched their backs. Milo had dropped them off and left. With no light except a sliver of a moon, they had to move slowly to keep from twisting an ankle, falling, or sending rocks down the side to announce their presence with a clatter. 

Reaching the shore, they set the stretcher down to await the rafts that would take them back to the sub. Actor split his attention between the sea, the area around them and Garrison. Chief had moved back up the trail to watch from anyone following them. The pickpocket was unnaturally quiet for him as he sat on his heels beside Garrison and Christine.

Craig shivered in the cold wind that was blowing off the sea. Actor removed his coat and draped it over the lieutenant.

“No, I’m okay,” objected Craig. “You need it.”

“I am ‘fine’,” said Actor gently. “You need it more than I do. We will be in the sub soon and you can give it back.”

It was another half hour before the first raft landed. The non-com in the front of the raft, climbed out and Actor approached him. The navy man looked around. 

“Where’s the rest of your group?” he asked. “We were told there were seven of you.”

“They are not coming,” was all Actor would say. “The lieutenant is in poor condition, and one of the others has a bullet injury.”

The naval man had seen enough in the past to just take this in stride. “Okay, we’ll load the Lieutenant, you, and the girl in the first raft. Your injured man and the other man can ride in the second raft.” He took in the stretcher with a frown. “Can he sit up?”

“I can do whatever I have to,” said Garrison. He tried to sit up without help.

“Allow us to assist you, Lieutenant,” admonished the con man. 

Chief stepped forward and between he and Actor got Garrison unsteadily to his feet. They practically carried him to the raft and got him situated on the middle seat. Chris was helped by Actor to get in behind Garrison while their group’s medical person took a seat beside the Lieutenant. Actor was going to be the solid, steadying bulwark next to him if he could not make it to the sub upright on his own. When they pushed off, the other raft landed and picked up Goniff and Chief.

Garrison’s strength was flagging by the time they reached the sub. Actor and one of the crew managed to get him onto the observation deck. Actor went down the ladder first, using his body to hold Garrison up on the way down. Craig wasn’t about to descend like he had the last time. Once down, he slid down the bulkhead and sat on the floor. By that point he did not care about the humiliation of not maintaining his feet. Chris hurried down and crouched beside her brother, a hand lightly on his shoulder.

The sub’s doctor hurried up and looked down at the officer, shaking his head in recognition. “Again?”

Actor nodded. “We have another man coming with a bullet wound to the upper arm.”

“You people play rough,” remarked the doctor. He eyed the young woman beside the Lieutenant. “You bring your own nurse this time?”

“No,” said Chris, “that’s my sister.”

The doctor turned questioning eyes to Actor. “Is she coming too?”

“No, she has remained behind,” he answered, with disgust.

Two sisters, and one stayed behind? “I don’t want to know.”

“Believe me, you don’t,” agreed Actor.

The doctor turned to his business calling to some of this crew. “Bring two stretchers and take the wounded to sick bay.”

GGGGG

The delivery truck pulled up to the safe house and Milo got out, leaving the engine running. Casino came up, sensing the urgency in the Norwegian. The resistance man looked up as the two Garrisons came outside.

“Did everything go okay?” asked Kelly, also sensing there was a problem.

“No,” replied Milo. “We must leave this place and get you to the other safe house. We left dead Germans back there.”

“What happened?” demanded the boy.

“We were stopped by Wehrmacht. The young woman tried to trick them, but it ended up in a shoot out anyway.” Milo was already trying to herd them toward the back of the truck.

“Any of our people hurt?” asked Kelly.

“The blond Englishman was shot in the arm,” said Milo.

He opened the doors on the back of the truck and Terry and Casino got in. Kelly paused.

“Did they catch the sub?” he asked worriedly.

“I don’t know. I dropped them off and left. I do not know if the German’s had time to report my truck to headquarters.” He motioned Kelly inside.

The boy complied and met the other two in the front of the truck.

“I have blood,” said Terry almost accusingly. “Too much for Craig. Who’s hurt and what happened?”

“Goniff got hit. Arm. I guess they got stopped and Chris tried a con. It didn’t work. They shot their way out.”

Casino swore. “Did they catch the sub?”

Kelly shrugged. “Milo dropped them off and left. We won’t know until we get back to England.”

“Terrific,” said Casino glumly.

Terry slid down the wall to sit on the floor. “Actor and Chief can handle things,” she said trying to be optimistic.

“Sure, unless the Krauts followed ‘em.” 

“You’re a bundle of joy,” said Kelly to the safe cracker.

“Yeah,” broke in Terry, “but he almost always has a valid point.”

Casino sat on a smelly box and contemplated the two people with him. What a mess. Terry was pretty capable, but the boy was really an unknown factor. Sure, he could speak the lingo and he knew the layout, but how was he going to be when they had to do something? Grudgingly, he had to admit Actor, who was good at sizing people up, seemed to have some faith in the kid.

They wove around the city before pulling over by a fish market. Figures, thought the safe cracker, he would never get that smell out of his nose. The three were ushered inside where they were handed over to Knut. He urged them upstairs to the living quarters and then up a ladder into the attic. 

The space they were given was small, but fairly comfortable as attics went. There was a table with a lamp and a cloth covered tray with cheese and bread. Thankfully, to Casino, there were no fish. Along one wall was a small bed. The windows were painted in black to keep light from coming in or going out.

Terry lit the lamp before Knut left with his torch. Casino turned a chair around and straddled it. He flipped the cover back off the food, sliced a piece of bread and cut off a wedge of cheese to go with it. With an inward sigh, he looked up at the girl.

“You got a plan or am I wingin’ this?” he asked.

Terry cut a sliver of cheese and handed the knife to her brother. “I have a plan, but you’re going to have to fine tune it. You’re the one with the explosives know-how.”

“So wadda yuh want I should do? Bring the building down and everyone in it?” It was what Casino expected.

“No,” said Terry. “That was my first instinct, but that would take out too many innocent people.”

Kelly snorted. “With the exception of Jenny and maybe a couple of the kids, there ain’t anybody in that place whose innocent.”  
“Probably not,” said Terry, “but we’re going to kill as few as possible.” 

Casino watched her while chewing on bread and cheese. “So, what do you want?”

Terry sat down on one of the other chairs. “Can you set smoke bombs to get the people to evacuate and then blow the place up before the fire department gets there?”

“I can set ‘em on timers,” said Casino confidently. “When’s the best time of the day when the fewest number of people are there?”

“Noon,” said Kelly. “The patrons have left and most of the help has gone home.”

“They don’t stay there all the time?” asked Casino.

Kelly shook his head. “Just the people who own it and one of the managers.”

Casino was thinking. “So, there would be empty rooms on all the floors?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, tell me the layout of the whole place.”

Kelly described the building and what was in it from the basement, up the two floors, to the attic. Casino pulled a stub of a pencil from one of his pockets. Kelly handed him a white handkerchief. With a frown of concentration, Casino began making a ‘grocery list’ of supplies he would need.

“We’re going to need to get our hands on this Alex person before we blow anything up,” said Terry.

“Why?” asked the safecracker. “You wanted him dead, so why not blow him up with the building?”

Terry gave him a look of disbelief. “You are bloodthirsty, aren’t you?”

“He don’t sound innocent, Babe. So, what do you want to do with him?”

“Take him back to England and hand him over the G-2. He probably has information they could use.”

“You wanna drag this guy out with us?”

“Why not?” asked the girl. “It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”

Casino gave a cynical laugh. “Yeah, we have. The five of us, not just me and you two.”

“We can do it,” said Kelly steadily.

Casino was beginning to wonder who was worse, the Warden or the rest of his family. He lost that train of thought when Knut came back up. Casino handed him the handkerchief with the list of supplies. Kelly translated in Norwegian. The fishmonger studied the list and nodded. He spoke to Kelly and went back down the ladder.

“He says he has a cousin who does demolition. He can get everything you need from him,” said Kelly.

“Okay, we’ll see what he comes up with,” said Casino.

Kelly looked at his sister. “I got some sleep. You two should probably get some. I can keep watch.”

Casino looked at the small bed. They had slept on worse. “Okay, come on, Sister. Ain’t like we haven’t done this before either.”

Kelly’s eyebrows rose. Terry laughed.

“It’s alright, Brother,” she said. “I’ve slept with all of them a time or two.”

“Craig, know that?”

That got a grin from her and Casino. “Of course,” replied Terry. “He was there most of the time.”

“Okay,” said the boy, not totally sure about his sister sharing the small bed with the safecracker.

Casino placed his gun on a box by the head of the bed. Terry got on the bed with her back against the wall and Casino lay down facing her. He pulled her tight to him and they went to sleep. Kelly turned a chair around quietly and sat down with a pistol on the table beside him and faced the trapdoor that was the only entrance and exit to the attic.

GGG

It was close to morning when Casino awakened. The woman was still asleep in his arms. He could really like this, he thought, at the same time knowing that wasn’t likely to ever happen. A noise at the trapdoor had Kelly up and to the side, gun drawn. Casino sat up quickly and grabbed his gun. Terry swung legs over and was up beside the safecracker with her blade in hand.

The trapdoor eased open and Knut whispered his identity before opening the door the rest of the way. Two guns and a knife remained trained on him until the ones in the attic were certain he was alone.

“I have the supplies you want,” the Norwegian said to Kelly.

The boy put up his gun. “He’s got the stuff you asked for,” he told Casino.

“Okay.” 

The cracksman stuck his gun in his waistband and walked over to the trapdoor. Knut handed packages up to him. Kelly took them and put them on the table. When Knut closed the trapdoor, Casino started going through the items and packages to see what he had been given. Terry and Kelly joined him and watched.

“Got everything you need?” asked the girl.

Casino sorted things out on the table. “Yeah, his cousin knows his stuff.” He looked at Kelly. “So, when does this Alex guy show up at the club?

“Not until around five-ish,” replied the boy. “He pretty much has a routine. Shows up around then, drinks, talks to the patrons, maybe samples one of them or the regulars, and leaves around one or two in the morning.”

“He’s a fag?” asked Casino in disgust.

“Hey, it’s that kinda place,” said Kelly.

“And you worked there?” asked his sister in frustration.

“I brought in supplies, I didn’t work the place,” retorted the boy. “And neither did Craig if that’s what’s on your mind.”

“Settle down, you two,” said Casino. “I’m thinking.”

“He thinks?” said Kelly to his sister teasingly.

“More than you probably do,” shot back the safecracker.

“He thinks,” said Terry. She waited until Casino seemed to have come to a conclusion. “What’s your plan?”

Casino sat down and looked between the two Garrisons. “Okay, we put the snatch on this bum and make sure he ain’t goin’ anywhere. We can’t set the bombs to go off because we don’t know if and when we can take this guy. So, we get him first. Tonight if possible. Then tomorrow, I go in and set the bombs. I don’t want you,” he said to Terry, “anywhere near explosives after the last time. And I don’t want Junior around them either.”

Kelly took umbrage with that. “Yeah? Well, you’re gonna need me to show you were the places are to set them. And how are you going to set the bombs on four floors by yourself?”

“He’s got a point,” said Terry before Casino could explode himself. “That’s a lot of territory to cover. And he knows the layout of the place. We’ve both had some explosives training by SOE.”

“I don’t like it,” grumbled Casino.

“I’m not asking you to like it,” said Terry. “I’m asking you if you can do it.”

Casino glared at her. “Yeah, I can do it.” He knew there was no other way than to involve the two. “I’ll make the bombs up today so all we have to do is set the timers when we place them and get out.”

GGGGG  
Garrison lay on the gurney that was attached to the floor in the sick bay of the sub. He was quiet and withdrawn, answering when spoken to, but not initiating any conversation. Goniff was on a chair, bandaged arm in a sling, watching the officer worriedly. This wasn’t the Warden. That was the exact same thought Actor had. The con man would have liked to talk to the lieutenant in private, but privacy wasn’t an option here. So he waited until the doctor had left, before walking over to lean down close to the Warden’s head.

“Lieutenant,” he said in a quiet, sympathetic voice, “I understand how difficult this is for you right now, but when we leave this sub and go to the hospital we need you to act as though you are merely injured. If you stay within yourself as you are now, they might send you for psychiatric evaluation. You know how the military is.”

“Bloody ‘ell, Actor,” said Goniff is disbelief the con man would say things like that to the Warden.

Garrison ignored the Englishman and turned his eyes to Actor’s. “Yes, I know how the military is. I’ll try to con them.”

Actor smiled, “Just until we get you back to the Mansion. Your reaction is understandable under the circumstances, but the army still must be kept in the dark about all the circumstances. They will not deal kindly with you if they find out of your true relationship with the young lady.”

“You know?” asked Garrison in surprise.

Actor nodded. “Yes. Kelly told me. I don’t think Teresa knew either.”

“Kelly was the only one,” said Garrison. 

“Wot are you talking about, Actor?” asked Goniff.

The con man looked down into the hazel blue/green eyes and received a blink of permission. Now was not the time though.

“It is something we will discuss after we get back to the Mansion,” he told Goniff. “The fewer who know about this right now, the safer for the Lieutenant.”

“Know what?” persisted the Cockney. He hated it when Actor get condescending.

“We’ll discuss it later,” reinforced Garrison with a fine bit of steel in his voice. “You did not hear anything in here.”

At least that was more like the Warden than he had been since they rescued him. Goniff didn’t like it any better, but if the Warden said later, he wouldn’t talk about it until later and that was all there was to that.

When they reached the sub pens, Garrison refused to be hoisted out on a stretcher again. Even one handed, Goniff was able to climb the ladders without any problem. It would not be that easy for the officer. 

Chief went up to the middle landing and knelt by the opening. Craig started up slowly, the strain on his shoulders giving him a lot of pain. Actor came behind him, trying to shield the lower half of Garrison in case he lost his grip. It was slow and painful, but they made it out. An ambulance was waiting at the dock with a stretcher. Garrison was thankful for the option of lying back down, even if he refused to show it. 

Actor hovered, face stern, making sure the officer was treated attentively. Goniff was helped into the ambulance and seated on a side bench with Crystal beside him. The lieutenant’s stretcher was slid along the floor. Actor took the other bench, so he was close to the officer’s head. The two medics climbed in on either side. Chief rode in the front with the driver.

At the hospital, Garrison was taken into an emergency bay, followed by Goniff and Actor. Chief remained in the waiting area, the bay being too closed in for his taste. Chris stayed with him, even though it was her brother. It was too crowded in the bay for her to stay too and Actor was in charge, so he needed to be there. The white coated doctor and a nurse entered. Dr. Owens had taken care of all the members of the team at one time or another and Garrison several times.

“What happened this time?” he asked. “He looks as though he has been tortured.”

Garrison’s eyes followed the doctor, but he allowed Actor to do most of the talking.

“He was captured, and this is the work of the Gestapo,” said Actor as though talking to a colleague. “He seems to have a concussion. Multiple abrasions and contusions of the face and upper torso. Probably cracked or broken ribs. He has abrasions of the wrists and both shoulders are stiff.”

“They hung me from the ceiling by my wrists,” added Garrison.

Dr. Owens shook his head. He ordered x-rays of the shoulders and chest. He looked down at the Lieutenant and noted the eyes that looked a bit unfocused. Concussion, and not the man’s first by any means.

“We can put you in a room tonight for observation,” he said.

Garrison’s eyes focused sharply. “I’d rather not,” he said. “I just want to get back to our base and my own bed.” He forced a smile, that only Actor could see was a con.

Owens turned back to Actor. “The sister there to take care of him?”

Actor answered smoothly. “She is not there at the moment but will be shortly. And the other sister is here also.”

Owens nodded. “Okay. Pending the results of the xrays, I’ll release him to the base, but he will probably need a couple weeks of rest.”

Actor smiled. “We will see to it he gets all the rest he needs, if you will clear it with G-2.”

The doctor then proceeded to check Goniff’s arm out. It had been adequately tended on the sub so he was released to go back to the Mansion also.

The xrays confirmed broken ribs and strained but not dislocated shoulders. Dr. Owens released Garrison and Goniff in Actor’s care. They were loaded back into the same ambulance for the two-hour trip back to the Mansion they were all thinking of as home now.


	6. Chapter 6

Casino had all the parts laid out on the table. He carefully made the first of five smoke bombs. The Garrisons, sitting at the table, were watching his every move. As Casino finished up the second one, Kelly picked up a box, a clock and some wire. Casino opened his mouth to yell at the kid but stopped as he watched the care the boy of using in following the exact steps the safecracker had used. 

“You done this before?” asked Casino.

“No, shown how by OSS and SOE,” said Kelly. “I’ve just been watching you.” His eyes never left what he was doing.

When Kelly had finished the one he was working on, Casino slid a second set of parts to him. The two finished up the last of the smoke bombs together. Now, the safecracker started on the explosive bombs. Kelly watched intensely. When he was done with the first one of six, Casino looked at the boy and wordlessly moved a set of parts and plastic explosive toward Kelly. He watched the boy carefully assemble the bomb and assemble it correctly.

“You two know how to set these?” he asked.

Kelly nodded. 

“Yes,” added his sister.

“You coming in with us?” Kelly asked Terry. He hadn’t been sure if she would or not.

“I want to, but I don’t see how,” said Terry. “I’m kinda the wrong sex.”

Kelly studied her a moment. “Tie the udders down and put your hair up in a cap and we could probably pass you off as a boy.”

Casino took a pointed look at the ‘udders’ and said, “That oughta hurt.”

Terry gave him a dirty look.

GGG

Terry had the opportunity to try out the disguise that evening. Dressed in pants, she used a long strip of cloth obtained from Knut, to flatten her chest. She borrowed a loose peasant shirt to cover it. It definitely did not feel good, but she wasn’t about to let Casino know that. Her hair was loosely braided and tucked into a fisherman’s hat.

The three staked out the brick building housing the club from an alley across the street. Kelly watched the street in both directions. There was foot traffic, but it was close to curfew, so it was lightening up. It was an hour before Kelly smiled grimly.

“That’s him,” he whispered. “The one in the tan jacket, dark pants and green shirt.”

Casino made a quick decision. “Let’s snatch him before he gets to the club. Who knows when he’ll come out and it’ll be dark.” He looked at Terry. “You stay here.”

“I’ll stop him,” said Kelly. “I don’t think I can keep him occupied for long though.”

“I’ll be right behind him,” assured Casino.

Kelly moved out of the alley and crossed the street on an angle. He looked up in seeming surprise at seeing the British agent in front of him.

“Hey, Alex,” he greeted in Norwegian.

“Eric, what are you doing here at this hour?” The man stopped and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, not offering one to the boy.

“Just on my way to a friend’s house,” said Kelly.

With both hands full as he lit the cigarette, the man was unprepared for what had to be a pistol being shoved into his back. He was further surprised by the switchblade that suddenly appeared in the boy’s hand.

“You wanna finish that cigarette,” said Casino quietly in English, “then you just act like nothin’s wrong and we’re just old buddies out for a stroll.”

Alex glanced between the two as Kelly moved around to his side. “You won’t shoot me on the street. You’d never get away with it.”

“No,” said Kelly in English, his knife now poking the man sharply in his left back underneath the jacket, “but you try anything and you’ll be missing a kidney. Of course you still have another one.”

“And my finger might just slip on the trigger,” added Casino

They angled back across the street, seemingly in conversation, with Alex between them. Glancing around first to make sure they weren’t being watched, they strong armed the man into the alley.

Alex came face to face with a feminine looking boy. Any other time, he would have been interested, but things had suddenly taken a bad turn. The boy in front of him was eying him like he was a cockroach. 

He glanced at Kelly. “You’re American?”

“Surprise, Asshole,” said the blond boy.

Casino shoved the man to his knees. Terry took the gun and aimed it at Alex’s head while the safecracker tied his hands and ankles securely with rope supplied by their host. 

“What’s going on?” asked Alex. He was putting on a brave front, but there was a hint of fear in his voice.

“Oh, we’re just going to take a little trip,” said Terry, not bothering to disguise her voice, “back to England.”

“Who are you people?” asked Alex. “What do you want, money? I can get you whatever you want.”

“You can’t get our sister-in-law back,” said Terry. “You ratted on her. They killed her and tortured our brother. But then I guess you know that.”

Alex eyed her, it was a her, back with studied unconcern. “Kiera? She and Petr were allied agents.”

“Yeah and you’re a traitor,” said Casino.

“Want me to take him out?” Kelly asked his sister seriously.

“No,” said Terry. “We’re going to take him back with us.”

“Why?’ asked Casino, going along with her.

Terry continued to watch Alex with distaste. “I’ll give Craig first chance at him. If Craig doesn’t want to deal with him, he’s mine.”

“What did you have in mind?” asked Kelly.

Terry made a contemplative face. “I was thinking along the lines of calf fries.”

Kelly grinned, “Sister, you have gotten wicked since leaving home.”

“What are calf fries?” asked Casino. By the look on Alex’s face, he didn’t know either.

Kelly looked at Casino with a raised eyebrow and then looked at his sister. “He doesn’t know what calf fries are?”

“He’s a city kid,” explained Terry. “He gets his meat at a butcher shop already processed.”

“Oh could we have fun with him at the ranch,” chuckled Kelly.

“Kel-ly,” said Terry warningly.

Kelly looked back at Casino. “Calf fries are what you have left when you cut a bull and turn him into a steer.”

Casino looked at Terry for verification. Terry was smiling evilly. She reached down to her boot and came up with the switchblade, flicking it open in front of Alex. “Yeah, you skin ‘em, slice ‘em, bread ‘em and fry ‘em. They’re pretty tasty. Of course his are probably miniscule.” 

She played with the tip of the blade and lightly scratched it along the buttoned opening of the man’s trousers.

Alex had turned white. “You wouldn’t do that.” 

Terry grinned humorlessly, “After what you did to our family, you bet your sweet life I would, in a heartbeat.”

Casino leaned down close to the man’s ear. “Okay, yuh got a choice. You come along quietly with us, or I let her have fun with you. You won’t be stickin’ that thing where it don’t belong after that.”

Alex looked around at the three faces. They weren’t joking. He nodded.

Casino untied his ankles and grabbed him by an upper arm, jerking him to his feet. Tightly surrounding him, the three frog-marched him down the alley to a car they had borrowed. Terry climbed in the driver’s seat and Alex was shoved into the back seat, flanked by Kelly and Casino.

Terry drove the car into the alley behind the fish shop. Three of the resistance men came out of the shop. Kelly got out and was quickly replaced by one of the men. Another man took Casino’s place. Terry got out and joined Casino.

Kelly spoke to the third man in Norwegian. “Be careful. He’s slimy,” said the boy. “If he tries to get away, kill him. He knows too much.”

The tall blond grinned. “And we know how to make a body disappear for a long time.”

Kelly grinned back. “I’m sure you do. Thanks.”

The man nodded and walked around to get behind the wheel. The three Americans watched the car depart before going into the backroom of the shop.

GGGGG

Garrison was carried on the stretcher, despite his half-hearted protests, up the stairs and helped into his bed. He was tired. So very, very tired. Actor checked him out briefly and made sure he was fairly comfortable. Crystal was hovering. A movement at the bedroom door drew Actor’s eyes. Goniff was peering in, trying to see the lieutenant. The con man went over to him.

“Goniff, could you perhaps sit with the Warden for a while. It would give Christine a break before she needs to start cooking.”

A bright grin crossed the gamin face. “O’ course I can, Actor.”

Chris watched the Cockney dubiously as he pulled the desk chair out and sat down. “Are you going to be okay like that?”

“Sure,” he scoffed. “It’s my turn anyway.”

“Okay.”

Chris still wasn’t sure about this, but she allowed Actor to guide her out of the room. They went downstairs, but Actor stopped her before she could head to the kitchen.

Actor looked down at Christine. “Young lady, I would like to have a word with you. Would you please step into ‘our’ office.” It was more of a command than an invitation.

That was the last thing Chris wanted to do, but she squared her shoulders and preceded the Italian into the library. He shut the door behind them. The girl turned and looked up at the stern-faced man.

“Actor, please,” she said. “I have seen you and Terry fight. I do not want to do that. I know you are angry with me about the Germans. I was trying to help. I’m not an innocent at this. Besides, I doubt you will ever have to work with me and Kelly again.”

Actor studied her. He had the impression she was afraid of him again, but it wasn’t shown in the brave front she had put on. The youngest kitten had grown her own claws.

When he didn’t say anything, she continued. “I realize this must be difficult for you, working with Terry and me. You are Italian after all. Ma told us about Italian men. You are used to being in charge. You don’t take any advice from a woman and you think all women should be in the home, taking care of the husband and having a million babies, while the man has his affairs.”

Actor’s eyebrows rose at that. This was becoming interesting, so again, he waited.

“At the ranch, the women do most everything the men do. We herd cattle, pull calves, brand, feed, rope, fix fence, anything that needs to be done. And if we have some down time, we like to ride broncs. Well, I don’t, but Terry, Kelly, Monty and Craig do. And Terry and Kelly race horses. You wouldn’t be happy on the ranch.”

“And your mother does this also?” he asked dubiously. “She seems like a nice refined lady.”

Chris laughed. “We know you are writing to Ma. She takes care of the house, but she does know most of the things we do, and she helps when needed.”

Actor changed tactics. “Who taught you the con?” he asked instead. “The Warden said you did not go to Italy or have the training they did.”

“No,” said Chris, wondering why he wasn’t yelling. “I did go through SOE like Terry did and I’ve been learning on the fly when I go into France.” 

“Your German is excellent, as is your French. No, Italian?” Actor asked in curiosity, his posture relaxing. 

“A little Italian. Not enough to do anything with. I wasn’t allowed to go to Italy like Craig and Terry. I was sent to Dad’s relatives in Ireland. They taught me Gaelic. The German was picked up through classes and SOE.”

Actor nodded. “Just a word of caution, carina. That was a very good attempt you made, but do not try it again if you do not have backup. It can get you into more trouble than if you keep quiet.” 

He turned and left the library. Slowly, Chris followed, watching him climb the stairs with his usual energy. She looked questioningly at Chief who was in the chair by the window, playing with his blade.

“Didn’t hear no yelling,” he remarked.

Crystal shook her head. “I don’t know why he changed his mind.”

“Hard to say with Actor,” said Chief. “He’s used to fightin’ with Terry. Maybe he didn’t wanna scare you.”

Chris shrugged. She didn’t know. What she did know was she wished her sister and brother and Casino would get back safely and quickly.

Actor passed the Warden’s bedroom and went into his own, closing the door. Stripping down, he took a quick shower, threw on pajama bottoms and lay atop his bed. As he relaxed, he allowed himself to review the conversation with Christine and her apparent opinion of Italian men; himself lumped into that.

For the most part, she was right. It was the way he had been brought up. It was common and expected. Except for him. Marriage was a trap and he had no desire for progeny. Women were there for his pleasure, nothing more. Well, there had been one exception in his younger days, and then there was Teresa. His ‘relationship’ with her was not merely sex. And right now he could have cheerfully strangled her. Vendetta di sangue? She was American for heaven’s sake, not Italian. He doubted she had learned that from her mother. Three days without sleep caught up with him, but Actor only slipped into a fitful doze.

Supper was a quiet affair with just the three of them at the table. Chief washed the dishes so Chris could take food to the Warden and sit with him for a bit. He had slept for a little in the chair by the window. Goniff retired early. Actor, unable to sleep for whatever reason, sat in his chair with a cigarette and a book. Chief joined him in the common room after the dishes were done and went through the ritual of cleaning and oiling his blades.

Christine came downstairs and walked over to Actor in his chair. She asked him if she could speak to him in private, a frown on her face. The Italian rose from his chair and escorted the young girl into the library, which seemed to be the conference room now.

“What is wrong, Christine?” asked Actor after closing the door for privacy.

“It’s Craig,” said Chris. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What specifically is the matter?” probed the con man.

Chris looked up at him. “He won’t talk to me. He just lays there and stares at the ceiling.”

Actor sucked on a cheek. “Carina, he has been tortured and he just lost his wife. It will be difficult for him to talk about it. You are his youngest sister. He is even less likely to talk about it to you. What do you want him to say? He has to come to terms with what has happened. And he may not be able to talk about it, nor wish to.”

“I guess it’s me,” lamented the girl. “I feel like I need to be doing something to help.”

Actor smiled. “I am sure he is taking comfort from having you close,” he said. “You are family.” The con man felt bad for the girl, but he also understood Garrison. “Why don’t you take a break and find something to occupy your mind. I will go up and sit with him for awhile.”

“Will you talk to him?” Chris pleaded.

“Only if he wishes to talk with me,” said the Italian with gentle firmness. “You cannot force him to talk about something he is not ready to discuss.”

She nodded. “Thank you, Actor.”

The Italian tapped lightly on the closed door to the lieutenant’s bedroom. When nothing was forthcoming, he slowly opened the door and looked in to see if Garrison was asleep. Eyes looking back at him from the bed indicated that wasn’t the case. Actor entered and closed the door behind him. He walked over to the chair beside the bed and sat down.

“I don’t need a sitter,” muttered Garrison.

“Don’t you?” asked Actor. “You have been injured before and we have taken turns sitting with you as we do with each other.”

He pulled his pipe out and set about making a smoke. From the tops of his eyes, he watched the lieutenant turn his head and go back to staring at the ceiling. Perhaps it would do him good to talk about it. The direct approach would not work. It had to be done subtly. And there was only one way Actor could think of and it would be difficult for him too. But the Warden was the only person of the group he felt he could safely open up to.

“I have been on my own for the past twenty-four years,” he started as though telling a story. “I have had only myself to rely on and I pride myself in that I have been able to do that. Then you came along and pulled me from prison. My first thought was to flee to Switzerland at the earliest opportunity. But when the opportunity came, on that first mission, I realized I wanted to see how this was going to play out. You intrigued me. You are not the typical career army officer. I felt I could always disappear at any time I chose so I stayed. I think that was my undoing.”

Garrison’s head turned to look at him. He had expected questions he didn’t want to answer, but not a confession from the older man.

“I don’t even know how or when it happened, but I found I was being relied on and there were others, mainly you, I could rely on. That was something I was not used to. Despite the army, you have developed this policy that no one gets left behind.” He took a puff on his pipe to keep it going, watching the grayish-white smoke blow from his lips like from a steam engine and then drift lazily toward the ceiling. “Oh, yes, we have had to leave people behind before, but you always managed to come back for them. I was not physically tortured as you and Casino, but . . .” He drifted into his mind, remembering his thoughts in the hospital and prison camp.

“But what?” prompted Craig quietly. He wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but it wasn’t like Actor to talk about himself without some degree of bragging. He knew he had to be careful or the man would close up.

Actor found it hard to admit, but maybe now he could get it out. “When I was placed in that prison camp, I knew you were not coming to get me. It was like being in a deep hole.” 

He paused again. This time Garrison waited, allowing him to take his time. He had never expected the arrogant man to talk about his feelings.

“I felt as though I had lost everything again. I lost my family at sixteen. I made it a point not to get close to anyone. I did not want to feel that pain again. There was a woman I allowed myself to become close to, but I lost her too. It was almost the same feeling. Then you came along with the others, and your family, and they have become my family. In the prison camp, I realized you could never find me . . . that nobody was going to come for me. I was injured and could do nothing to save myself. That dark hole in my mind seemed endless.” By now Actor was staring at the pipe in his hand, but not seeing it. His eyes watched the red glow of the tobacco fade to gray. “I still wake up sometimes, in the dark, and feel that emptiness; that utter, cold, emptiness.” He could not go on.

“Like part of your soul has been ripped from you,” said Craig.

Actor looked up and saw the understanding in the younger man. He nodded and looked down again.

Garrison took up the story. “I’ve been interrogated before. This time was worse. The pain should have been enough to keep my mind from functioning, but the pain of losing her, of knowing what they had done to her and that I would never see her again.”   
His voice broke. Taking a deep breath he continued. “The knowing was worse than anything they could do to my body.”

The two men exchanged a look saying they knew what the other was talking about.

“I had the chest wound. That was enough in itself,” said Actor. “But they never tortured me. I kept waiting, but it never came. I believe the same as you though. The physical pain is not nearly as strong as the . . . other pain.”

That was a big confession coming from the confidence man. Garrison felt the need to say more to this man who had always been there for him and the others, even when he slipped into his old ways.

“I guess I had this idea of you as some bigger than life person. I figured if I couldn’t get you, eventually you would get yourself out and come back. But as time passed and nothing, no word, no sign that you were alive, and you didn’t come back, I began to start thinking maybe you were dead. I’m sorry, Actor. We never gave up trying to find you through the undergrounds, but I think we all began to feel you had been killed. I let you down.”

Actor looked up sharply. “Warden, there was nothing you could do. We both know that. It took me a long time to recover from getting shot, but eventually I made it back. You did not give up on me when I was in Germany and you did not give up on me when I returned. You could just as easily have kept Carter and had me sent back to stir, or let me go back to Switzerland. No, you did not give up on me.”

The Italian relit his pipe to give him a chance to examine what was in his mind. He had come up to see if he might be of help to the lieutenant and instead it was himself who was being helped. Still, the younger man had started talking. Possibly it was a start at healing.

A phone rang downstairs. In a short time, Chris appeared at the door.

“I’m sorry, Actor,” she apologized. “Major Richards is on the phone and asked to talk to you.”

So much for putting that off. Actor rose from the chair and patted Garrison’s lower leg. “This should be interesting.” He smiled, his façade back in place.

“You want me to come down and talk to him?” offered Garrison, not sure how he would do that in his current condition.

Actor shook his head and pasted his best con man smile on. “I can handle it,” he said.

Craig nodded, confident the man could handle it and well.

Actor went into Garrison’s office and sat at the desk. Chief came to the door with a questioning look. The Italian nodded it was okay to stay and listen.

“Major Richards,” said the con man. “How may I help you?”

“You can start by telling me what’s going on,” said the British commando major dryly. “I was informed you were back with Garrison and he will need a couple weeks to recuperate.”

“That is what Dr. Owens ordered,” agreed Actor, not offering anything more.

“I was also informed you left three people behind, two of them with the last name of Garrison. Would you care to expand on that?”

Actor looked at Chief and rolled his eyes, bringing a grin to the Indian’s face.

“Our mission and priority was to return with Lt. Garrison. There was new intel that needed to be taken care of. It was not in the lieutenant’s best interest to remain in Norway while that intel was followed up on. Teresa is quite capable as you know. The boy, Kelly, is fluent in Norwegian, so his presence was needed. Casino stayed with them.”

“And when will they be back and how are they getting back?” asked Richards.

“That I do not know, Sir,” said Actor. “I’m sure they will return soon,” he added confidently.

“But you don’t know how.”

“No, Sir.”

“Hmmm. Well, I do not want to have to inform Gen. Garrison his son and daughter are missing in Norway.”

Actor could not resist. “Are you not the one who contacted Teresa in the first place and gave her carte blanche to do whatever she deemed necessary? As I am sure you know by now, she will follow that to the letter.”

“Touché, Mr. Borghese,” said Richards with a touch of humor. “You will notify me if you hear from them.”

“As I am sure you will do the same.”

“I will be by tomorrow afternoon to see Lt. Garrison,” said the major. “Good night.”

“Good night,” returned Actor.

He hung up the phone and looked up at Chief’s grinning face. 

“You ain’t afraid of anybody are you?” asked the Indian with admiration.

Actor smiled widely back at him.


	7. Chapter 7

No one said anything when the truck full of supplies arrived and the familiar blond kid, a man and another boy began unloading it. What they didn’t know was the real delivery men were tied up back at the warehouse. The first set of boxes went to the storeroom in the basement. The next set of boxes went up to the storeroom on the first floor. There were more boxes for the second floor. A large order had been put in by the regulars who worked that floor. It was quiet and the three were not seen going up to check out the attic.

Casino and Kelly stayed in the second floor storeroom and began setting up the bombs. Terry continued to bring up the smaller, lighter boxes that were still in the back of the truck. It didn’t matter the contents would soon be lost in the explosions.   
Terry was alone in the hall, carrying the last box of supplies to the room where Casino was working. She never heard the man come up behind her until she was slammed face first into the wall with an arm across the back of her neck. Her box fell to the floor. Hot, humid, sausage breath blew past her cheek from the mouth that was close to her ear. The German man began to tell her what he was going to do to her and it wasn’t pleasant. Not again, thought Terry. And not this time either! Anger surged through her. Kelly came around the corner just then. The man looked at the boy.

“Get lost,” he said in German.

Kelly replied coldly in German. “That’s my brother you have there. He isn’t part of this. Let him go.”

The man laughed. “He’s fresh meat. If you want you can be next.” He grabbed Terry’s arm to spin her around. Terry was ready to fight. Kelly got there first. The man made a strangled sound and slid to the floor, pulling Terry down with him. Terry rolled away and to her feet. She looked down at the open, shocked, unseeing eyes and the bloody chest. She shot a look at Kelly. The boy was standing there, grimly holding a bloody switchblade in his hand. He wiped it on the man’s pants leg and returned it to the sheath on his forearm. 

Terry grabbed her cap that had come off and slapped it on her head. Both siblings grabbed a leg and dragged the body into the room that Casino was in. Casino took it in in an instant. “Jeez, Terry.”

Terry stared at her baby brother. Kelly returned her look. “Hey, they’ve done enough to our family already. I’m damned if I’ll let them get you too. ‘Specially what he had in mind.”

Casino eyed the boy, surprised it was him who had killed the man. With no time to spend on that, he handed four of the bombs to Kelly. “Think you can set them the way I showed you?”

“Piece a cake.”

“Get the second floor cleaning closet and the attic. I’ll get the ones on the first floor and in the basement,” instructed Casino.

Kelly nodded toward Terry. “Take her with you. I want her off this floor.”

Casino nodded. “Meet you across the street.”

Kelly put his bombs in one of the boxes and headed for the attic. Casino loaded the rest of the bombs carefully into another box. Terry watched him, wondering when she had lost control of this mission to Casino and Kelly. For that matter, when had her baby brother become so immune to close killing.

“Come on,” said Casino. “Let’s get this done so we can get outta here.”

Terry adjusted her hair and cap and followed the safecracker out the door, picking up the box on the floor in the hall. They went to the basement first. The unfriendly expression on Casino’s face kept anyone from approaching them. The basement was accessed by wooden stairs to a rock floored and walled room. Terry took a smoke bomb and set it next to the furnace where the smoke would be sucked up into the ventilation system. At the same time, Casino set his bomb against a side of the heating oil tank.

They went back up to the first floor and the storeroom. The smoke bomb was set next to the door and the explosive bomb was placed behind stacks of liquor boxes.

“Why do we always hafta waste good booze,” muttered Casino.

Satisfied with his bombs, he urged Terry out the door. They went back to the truck and drove it away. Parking down a side street a couple blocks from the club, they were met by Kelly. The three waited at the back of the truck, hidden from the street. Casino checked his watch. It was a tight getaway, but in five more minutes the smoke bombs went off. Dark gray smoke billowed from the windows and doors. People from there and the adjoining building ran outside and across the street. They were probably too close, but at least they weren’t inside.

Sirens could be heard in the distance, approaching the club, when the explosives went off with enough force they felt the ground shake. Casino moved forward and leaned against the corner of the building at the entrance of the alley, watching. For a moment, he was afraid something had gone wrong. Windows were blown out around club. The club itself, smoke and flame billowing from the glassless windows, was still intact . . . for a minute. There was a rumble followed by the collapse of the roof and then the walls. A wide, satisfied smile crossed the safecracker’s face. Terry and Kelly peeked around the corner and stared.

“Happy, Babe?” asked Casino.

“Ecstatic,” grinned Terry. “Oh, you are good.”

“Yup.”

They hurried to get into the truck and left the area before anyone had the presence of mind to recognize the vehicle and the three people who had been at the club not long before. The truck was returned to the warehouse. Casino made sure the men were still securely tied. Somebody would be along sometime, to find them, but the safecracker wasn’t concerned. At least they were still alive.

Splitting up, the three made their way on foot back to the fish market. Upstairs, Terry took off the cap and shook her hair out. Casino threw himself into a chair, a grin on his face. He loved it when a plan went well. And watching the girl wasn’t bad either, even with the udders tied down. Kelly cautiously poked his head through the entrance of the trap door and came in when he saw the other two.

Knut arrived a few minutes later. He looked at the three with a touch of admiration. 

“Would you like to come work for us?” he asked.

Casino and Kelly laughed. 

“We may see each other again sometime,” said the boy. “I think I’m out of a job with the supplier now.”

The Norwegian grew serious. “I have good news and not so good news.” The three sobered and watched him. Kelly translated where necessary. “The good news is I had some people watching the club. It is totally destroyed. And all of the inhabitants are accounted for and alive.”

“So, what’s the bad news?” asked Casino, impatiently.

“I contacted England. There is no sub available to come get you.”

“For how long?” asked Terry.

“They did not know. However, I talked to one of my cousins. He is willing to take you to England in his fishing boat tonight.”

“Great, more fish,” muttered Casino quietly. He looked up sharply when a booted foot, attached to a female leg, kicked him in the shin.

“I will see that your cousin is reimbursed for the loss of his night’s catch,” said the girl.

The fish monger nodded.

“So, where’s Alex?”

Knut grinned. “In the hold of the boat.”

“Good place for him,” nodded Casino.

Just before curfew, Knut drove the three down to the docks where his cousin, Luka, had his boat. He dropped the Americans off and went back home to clean out any sign they had been there.

Casino went down in the hold to check on their prisoner. The Englishman was bound and gagged and glaring hatefully from his bed atop fish offal covered with a tarp. Casino grinned broadly.

“Hope your trip to England is comfortable,” he said.

Alex struggled and tried to talk though the gag. If he could have gotten loose, Casino was sure the man would have gone after him.

Terry and Kelly were sitting on the floor in the cabin behind the wheelhouse. Both looked up when Casino entered. The safecracker was still grinning.

“G-2 is going to have to hose him down good before they interrogate him,” he said with satisfaction.

“He could have it worse,” remarked Kelly. “We could have set him up and let the Krauts interrogate him.”

“Nice idea,” said his sister, “but he knows too much.”

GGGGG

Major Richards arrived at the Mansion at two o’clock in the afternoon. Actor met him at the door and ushered him in. The major removed his coat and hung it on the coat tree before looking at the two other men in the common room. Chief was watching him with a guarded distrustful expression. Goniff was his smiling self, arm in a white sling. Richards nodded to both of them before turning back to Actor.

“Lt. Garrison is in his room,” said the con man. “May I suggest we use the upstairs common room so he does not have to traverse the stairs?”

The major nodded. He preceded Actor up the stairs. At the top, he stopped and quietly said to the Italian, “I will talk to him in his room. Under the circumstances I would prefer to debrief with you in the common room in private.”

Actor gestured for him to enter Garrison’s room. When the lieutenant saw Richards come through the door, he tried to get up.

“As you were, Lieutenant,” said Richards.

He stood looking down at the battered face of the young officer. Actor stationed himself by the door and watched. The major pulled the desk chair out and took a seat.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Richards asked more as a friend and less as a superior officer.

Craig shook his head. “For whatever reason, Alex, our double agent, turned her in to the Gestapo. They beat her, raped her, and pulled her nails out, trying to get her to tell them who she was working for.”

Richards frowned. “How did you find out all of that?”

“I was there. I saw it. Neither one of us could talk or they would have killed us and the others we had contact with.” His voice was wooden.

Actor quelled a response to straighten in surprise. Garrison had said the woman had been tortured and killed. He had not said he had been a witness to the degradation. That made his response to the event even more understandable.

Garrison continued. “When Miss Harkness refused to answer them, one of the officers lost his temper and shot her in the head.”

Richards’ eyebrows rose at that revelation. 

“I guess they figured they couldn’t get anything from either of us, so they decided to turn me over to SS. They didn’t work me over nearly as much as they did her.”

It was obvious looking at the younger man the Gestapo had worked him over pretty well, and Richards had to assume there were more injuries he was not seeing.

“Rest, Lieutenant,” he said. “I will debrief with Mr. Borghese in the common room. I have not asked if the young lady had relatives to be notified. Allow me to take care of that for you.”

“She only has an elderly aunt in Dublin,” said Garrison. “That’s why SOE liked her. No family.”

Major Richards merely nodded and turned away. Actor followed him out the door with a brief look at Garrison. The lieutenant’s eyes were closed.

The two men went across the hall to the common room and Actor closed the door behind them. He went to the cupboards and joined the Commando officer at the table with two glasses and his bottle of Courvoisier. Without asking, the con man poured and handed the officer one of the glasses. Richards accepted it and lifted it in a toast. Actor returned the gesture and both men took sips.

“He’s a strong man,” said Richards.

If you only knew, thought Actor in total agreement.

“I assume there has been no word from Casino or Teresa?” said Actor changing the subject before it became a subject.

“No,” said the major. “I trust you have heard nothing either?”

Actor shook his head.

“How did you get him out?”

The con man began the tale.

GGGGG

The three in the cabin took turns checking on their prisoner, cautiously stepping around and flattening themselves against the damp outer walls on the top side of the boat to keep out of the way of the fishermen who seemed either inclined to try to gather fish as they went or make it look to other boats or overhead planes they were simply doing what they did every day. It was Terry’s turn to check on Alex and she hung onto the railing of the steep steps to keep her balance on the rolling seas. To her alarm, the Englishman had somehow managed to get to his feet and was mincing toward her, gag hanging around his neck. She flicked her switchblade open, but decided a nearby gaff was better for keeping the man at a distance. She grabbed the hooked spike and made a jab at the man.

“That’s far enough,” she warned him.

Alex eyed her with hate and distain. “You think you can kill me?” he asked. “You couldn’t before.”

“Oh, I can kill you,” assured the girl. “I just don’t like unnecessary deaths. But I can make an exception to that.” She took a deep breath and screamed Casino’s name.

Alex tried to lunge at her, but his still partially bound feet, the rocking of the boat, and the point of the gaff jabbing his shoulder kept him from reaching her. A cry went out from above in Norwegian as a couple of the fisherman heard her scream. Two men jumped down into the hold followed by the safecracker and Kelly. One of the fishermen sent the Englishman to the floor with a roundhouse hook learned in the wharf bars of the countries they came in contact with. Casino and Kelly moved around them and heaved the man back atop his smelly bed. Kelly held him with a knee on the back of the neck, though the man was unconscious, while Casino retied him with feet and wrists lashed together behind him. One of the men tossed a net to them and they wrapped Alex up in it, both thinking they should have done this in the first place.

Terry handed the gaff to the other fisherman and retrieved her blade from the floor where she had dropped it, returning it to its sheath. Kelly thanked the men in Norwegian and they climbed back out to resume their work. The three looked at each other.

Kelly sighed. “Guess I’ll take first watch.”

“Terrific,” griped Casino, “now we gotta sit down here with the little bas …”

“Seems so,” interrupted Terry.

She and Casino climbed the steps while Kelly took a seat on the lower ones. The safecracker kept a steadying hand on the girl’s arm as they made their way back to the cabin. Casino slid down the wall to the floor and pulled Terry down beside him, placing an arm around her shoulders. She turned into him with a long deep sigh.

“Could you have killed him?” asked the cracksman curiously.

She nodded against his shoulder. “Probably. If he had gotten closer . . . definitely.”

“And you call me bloodthirsty?”

“Not bloodthirsty. I have to have a reason. He’s given me two so far. This would have been the third.”

“Three strikes and you’re out, Babe?”

“Something like that.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Terry looked up at him and gave a quiet chuckle. “I know where to hide the bodies too,” she teased.

Neither slept, but remained as they were, rocking with the rolling of the boat, and listening to the calls of the men on the deck. They had no idea where in England they were landing, nor did they care at this point, so long as it was on British soil.

GGG

British soil proved to be a fishing village on the Scottish border. Alex was off loaded sealed in a large box that should have contained fish. He was placed in the warehouse of a member of the SOE. Casino, Terry and Kelly remained close to the box and watched a man with a wrinkled leathery face from years of working in the elements approach them. The man addressed Casino.

“I assume you would be wanting to contact SOE headquarters,” said the man with a strong north accent.

Terry took over. “Actually, I need to contact Allied Command.”

The older man eyed Casino with question. “She is in charge?”

“She is now,” replied the safecracker.

Terry waited silently and watched the man digest this information and accept it, albeit reluctantly. He turned and motioned the girl to follow him.

“We’ll just stay here and make sure our friend doesn’t suffocate, Sis,” said Kelly.

“Aw just stick a hole in the side of the box,” said Casino. “I ain’t takin’ him outta there.”

Terry shook her head and left the boys with their prisoner. She followed the man to an office with a telephone. First, she called Allied Command and notified them of her location and the traitor they had brought back with them. She asked for transportation of the four of them. Arrangements were made from a truck to pick them up and bring them to London.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached London. Casino was getting tired of being in the back of a truck with the stench of fish that emanated from box. This was mixed with the acrid smell of urine. The safecracker figured if Alex somehow got out of his box, he’d kill them all with his bare hands.

When they reached Allied Command, the three were shown inside to General Abrams office. Alex was removed from his container, placed in shackles, and put in the stockade under continuous guard. Gen. Abrams looked at the three rather malodorous people in his ante office. He focused on the young woman.

“I have been informed by Maj. Richards you might be returning with a prisoner, but probably not. Would you care to come into my office and explain yourself?”

“Yeah an’ what about us?” asked Casino belligerently.

“Casino, shut up,” said Terry wearily. “Unless you want him to put you in a cell next to Alex.”

“I just want a bath and clean clothes,” persisted the safecracker.

They did smell bad. Abrams turned to his lieutenant and said, “Williams, find them a place in the army barracks to stay the night, get them clean clothes and food, and access to showers.”

“And the lady, Sir?”

“Obviously not the barracks, Williams.”

The corners of Terry’s mouth twitched. She followed Gen. Abrams into his office. It was late evening by the time she had debriefed first with Gen. Abrams and then again with Gen. Fremont. Fremont’s wrinkled-nosed reaction to her smell was a highlight for her day. She was driven from there to a safe house and given clean clothes, albeit men’s army fatigues. Since she was already wearing men’s clothes it didn’t bother her. She just wanted to be clean and have something to eat. 

It was close to midnight when she had finally been able to bathe and eat. A bed beckoned her. It was too late for her to call the Mansion and she was too tired to deal with Actor’s ire. With certainty she knew it would be him to answer the phone. So, she went to bed.

Casino and Kelly were given beds in a far corner of the army barracks building. They were clean, fed and had fresh clothes. The safecracker had been mulling on something for awhile and now had the boy alone. Casino sat down on the squeaky-springed cot beside Kelly. The young man looked at the safecracker wondering what the man wanted.

“Kid, how old are you?” asked Casino.

“Sixteen in a couple months,” replied Kelly. “How old are you?” he shot back.

“Thirty-one.”

“You’re older than Craig,” said Kelly in surprise.

“We all are, except Chief.”

“Even Goniff?”

Casino nodded. “Goniff’s two years older than me.”

Kelly’s eyebrows rose at that.

Casino looked at the boy sadly. “Listen, Kid, you don’t need to be over here doin’ the things you know how to do. You’ve already lost a chunk of your teens. You should be home, finishing school and make something of yourself. You keep this up and you’re going to end up like us.”

Kelly looked at Casino gravely. “Too late. I’m in it now. I can’t go back now. I’ve gotta finish this.”

“Why?” asked Casino. “You wanna kill Krauts?”

“No,” replied Kelly. “I want to help the people who are being hurt by those bastards.”  
Casino nodded, accepting that answer. “What about when this war ends?”

“Then I’ll go back to the ranch. I can finish my schooling. We’re home schooled anyway.”

“Think you can go back to the ranch after this?”

“I hope so.” Kelly pondered on it. “Chris could. Terry probably could. I don’t know about Craig. He planned on being career military like Dad. What you guys are doing may burn him out of that.”

Kelly looked quizzically at Casino. “What about you? What are you going to do after the war?”

“I don’t look that far in advance,” replied Casino. “If any of us make it through this war it’ll be a miracle.”

“Say you make it. What then?”

Casino thought about it. “I don’t know. I made some bad choices in my life. I don’t wanna go back to that, but I don’t know anything else.”

“Why don’t you come out to the ranch?” offered Kelly. “We’d teach you.”

Casino chuckled. “Son, your family would not want me out there.”

“Terry would.”

Casino smiled, “Yeah, Terry might. Face it, if the Lieutenant busted up your sisters and the Bradfords like I hear he did, he ain’t gonna let them anywhere near any of us.”

“Craig’s pretty fair minded.”

Casino shook his head. “Naw, Warden knows what we are.”

“He might surprise you,” said Kelly.

“Yeah, that’d be some surprise.” Casino got up and squeezed Kelly’s shoulder, before going back to sit on his own cot. “But thanks for the offer.”


	8. Chapter 8

Actor answered the telephone in Garrison’s office the next morning. Maj. Schaeffer’s crisp and disdainful voice reached him and informed him the rest of the team would be arriving at the mansion in a couple hours. Relief flowed through the con man. He thanked the major and sat back in Garrison’s chair. Maybe now they could get back to normal. Actor would be glad to turn the reins of this group back over to the capable hands of the Warden. At the same time, anger surged through him at Teresa for putting herself, her brother, and Casino in danger so she could kill the man responsible for all this. Willing himself to lose the anger, he called Maj. Richards office to inform him and then went upstairs and told Garrison the three were on their way back. 

Casino, Kelly and Terry entered the manor. Garrison, still looking the worse for wear, was sitting in the big chair closest to the window. He watched them with question.

“It’s done,” said Terry simply.

Garrison nodded in relief. Casino took off his jacket and hung it on the coat tree. Terry and Kelly were shrugging out of theirs.

“Are you happy, Teresa?” asked Actor disgustedly, ignoring the fact the lieutenant was sitting there.

Terry nodded, handing her jacket to her kid brother. “Very. We got it done and nobody was hurt or killed on either side.” She thought it prudent to omit the German who had attacked her. Craig didn’t need that right now.

“Really Teresa?” scoffed the con man in disbelief.

Terry turned to glare at him. “Really Actor.” She walked upstairs, leaving the other two down there.

“What happened?” asked Garrison, stifling a hot retort at his second.

“We set smoke bombs in the building. Gave the people time to get out before the explosives took the place down,” said Kelly. “And Alex is in the hands of G-2.”

Casino shook his head. “I’d’ave just offed the weasel, but Sister wanted him alive.” He turned to Kelly. “I did like that bit about the calf fries. That girl has a wicked sense of humor.”

“I think she was tempted,” laughed Kelly. He looked long and hard at the confidence man and then turned to his brother. “These two,” he gestured toward Actor and upstairs, “always like this?”

“Seems to be getting that way,” admitted Garrison, none too pleased himself.

Casino could not resist slinging one at the haughty Italian. “Hey, Warden, maybe we should trade him out to Lt. Johnson, and get Carter back. Things were a lot quieter then.”

“Too quiet,” said Terry, bounding down the stairs, still in army fatigues. “I’ll keep him, even if he is a snot sometimes. And where are my clothes? Half of them are gone.” She ignored Actor’s look of outrage, that had the others grinning.

“Your sister is washing everybody’s clothes,” said Craig. “I think she’s nesting.”

Terry shot him a look of astonishment. “She’s knocked up?” she asked in disbelief.

Chief stared too, knowing they hadn’t had sex.

“Says not,” said Craig. “Guess she’s just bored.” He looked at the middle girl innocently. “Are you? You’re prickly enough for it.”

Now Actor stared at Teresa, face still and masked, knowing he had used precautions the entire night they had spent together.

Terry gave Garrison a smart grin that ended in a curled lip. “No. Not planning on it either.”

Kelly laughed and said to his brother. “Can you see those two knocked up at the same time? I’ll go stay on the Continent. It’s safer.”

“I can send you there now,” offered Terry. “Christine Josette Garrison!”

Garrison settled back in his comfortable chair, sure he had upset two of the men with his remarks. Granted he did not know if either party was engaging in the kind of activities with his sisters that could have that result. Probably not, but it wouldn’t hurt to put a little fear and uncertainty into the oldest and the youngest of his men. It was a start at regaining control of himself and the others again. And it kept his mind off other, more painful, things, if only for a moment.

Fatigue settled over him like a heavy damp fog rolling over the rugged peaks into their valley at home. Craig levered himself out of the chair, waving away the offers of help from his men, and dragged himself upstairs to his bed. Alone, the memories flooded into his mind. Jenny, laughing and smiling seductively, from their bed in the tiny apartment in Oslo. Jenny laughing during their brief, infrequent times together in Chelsea. Jenny, tied to a chair being beaten, screaming as her fingernails were pulled out with pliers, one at a time. Jenny, turning her battered face up and spitting in the leering face of the Gestapo major, earning her a blackened eye. Jenny, refusing to tell them anything and getting a bullet between her eyes for her insolence. Jenny, being dragged by her ankles from the room, leaving a trail of blood, hair and gray matter on the floor; dragged from his life forever. At that moment, he had lost even the will to live. He continued to not answer his captors, uncaring instead of defiant. But that was against his grain and slowly his head had come up and the familiar glare he was capable of pinned his interrogators.

A light knock on his door brought him back to the present. Christine entered with a napkin covered tray of food. Craig forced a smile that did not fool the young woman for an instant. When he sat up in the bed, she placed the tray on his lap and took a seat in the chair beside him. Craig took the cover from the food and made himself pick up a half of the sandwich to make her happy. He took a bite and found it tasteless, though his sister had slathered it with mustard and homemade mayonnaise to hide the flavor of the spam.

“As long as you have the memories of her, she will never leave you,” said Crystal softly. “It will be hard, but don’t let the last images you have of her be the only things you remember. Remember the good times. I know there had to have been good times or you wouldn’t have married her. Don’t let death be the only thing you have left of her.”

Garrison stared at her. How did one so young have that kind of insight? 

Chris patted his leg. “You’ll get through this,” she said with quiet certainty, “but remember, you have family here to help you if you need it and those four men you lead are here to help too. Let them. They may need it too.” She smiled. “Terry’s back now. I’m going back to Brandonshire this afternoon. I need to get back to work.”

“The Fox or your ‘other’ work?” asked her brother.

She gave a small shrug. “Both.”

“Chris . . .”

“Uhn uh. You can’t talk me or Kell out of it. It’s too late for that.” She rubbed his leg. “And we worry about you too. We’ll be careful, if you will.”

Garrison nodded. 

Chris left him and gathered her things from the spare room. She walked down the stairs and set her bags by the front door. Chief said nothing but eyed her and the bags. She gave him a quick tiny smile.

“Kell?” she said.

Her brother got up from the game table and walked over to her with crossed arms. She put a hand on his forearm and leaned closer.

“Can you stay a few days?”

“I guess so,” he said. “Craig?”

“He’s trying to hide it, but he’s having a hard time,” said the girl. “You can have the spare bedroom,” she put in the bribe.

He gave a snort. “Yeah, I’m good. I need a rest for a couple days anyway before I go back in.”

“Where?” she asked with a bit of concern.

Another shrug and he answered, “Wherever they send me. Same as you.”

Chris hugged the uninjured brother; something she had been afraid to do to Craig. She looked at the men and smiled. “Bye, Guys.”

“Thank you, Christine,” said Actor graciously. “Your presence has been greatly appreciated.”

Terry came around the corner from the kitchen. “Sure, leave me with all the ironing.” She grinned. “Take care, Sister.” She hugged the younger girl.

“Can I take the MG?” Chris asked with a gleam in her eye.

“Ask him,” Terry inclined her head toward the Italian.

Actor eyed Crystal, but tempered it with a nod. “We will come and retrieve it though.”

“Thanks, Actor.”

With a smile and grab of the keys from the phone table, she picked up her bags and bounced out the door; an odd combination of youth and age.

GGG

Maybe it was the aftermath of the mission, he didn’t know. Casino woke up with a yell, in a cold sweat. He looked at the clock. It was two in the morning. He heard the doors open up and down the hall. Terrific, he had woke up the whole house. Couldn’t hide this one. He swung his legs out of the bed and walked to the door. They were all in the hall, except Garrison. Terry was putting a robe on over her nightgown.

Actor looked at the sheen of perspiration on the safecracker’s face and recognized the cause. He turned his head as Teresa approached.

“Teresa, go back to bed,” said Actor. He saw her sharp look of hurt and confusion. It was something he would have to deal with later. “Go. Please . . .”

Without a word, the young woman turned and went back to her room, closing the door firmly behind her. Actor closed his eyes for a moment and then turned his attention back to the safecracker.

“Casino, let us go visit the Warden. I am sure he is awake. I believe there might be something in his room that would be of help,” said Actor.

Knowing he wasn’t going back to sleep for awhile, afraid to go back to sleep, Casino nodded and followed the con man. Goniff and Chief went back to their rooms.

The lamp on Garrison’s night table cast a low yellowish light across the bed and almost to the door. He looked at his two men with concern.

“Sorry, Warden,” apologized Casino. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“You didn’t,” said Garrison. “I have a hard time sleeping right now.”

Casino took the desk chair. Actor sent a questioning look at the lieutenant and received a nod in return. 

“I think there are three glasses,” said Garrison.

Casino looked between the two men and waited while Actor opened the armoire and retrieved the rapidly dwindling bottle of bourbon, and three glasses. The con man used the desk as a table to pour the spirits in equal strong amounts into each glass. One was handed to Casino and one was placed on the table beside the lieutenant. With a grimace of pain, the officer pushed himself up to lean against the headboard. Actor took a seat on the foot of the bed, facing the other two. Glasses were raised and the first sip taken.

“This the first time with the dream?” asked Garrison.

Casino shook his head. “Naw. But this was the longest. Like I couldn’t wake up from it.” He looked at the lieutenant. “You gettin’ ‘em already?”

“Every time I close my eyes,” said the battered man. 

Casino glanced at Actor to see his response and was surprised to see the man withdrawn into himself, a frown on his face. He never thought the con man capable of feeling distress. ‘Course he never thought about Garrison bein’ that way either.

“The pain started out like a surprise,” Casino said. “But it just kept buildin’ and buildin’, ‘til all there was was the pain. Then after awhile, it just leveled out. It was like my mind stepped away. I was aware, but it was like my body was a piece of meat, not me.”

Actor watched him, listening, understanding in his own way. 

Garrison nodded and gave a snort. “I wished the pain would have taken over, but it didn’t. Oh it was there and it was almost overpowering, but what was worse was seeing what they did to her, watching them kill her, watching them drag her away by the ankles like a piece of garbage. That was the worst.

“Jeez, Warden,” said Casino, wide-eyed. “I didn’t know you saw it. I thought she was . . . dead . . . before they started on you.”

Garrison shook his head. He shot a quick glance at the tall man sitting silently at his feet but addressed Casino. “You know, there was one thing in our favor.”

“What?” asked the safecracker dubiously.

“We knew someone would come for us.” Garrison looked at Casino now leaving it up to Actor if he wanted to join this conversation. “Even though I wasn’t with you guys, I knew you would come looking for me. The army knew where I was. They knew to send you.”

Casino nodded. Then it struck him. Nobody had known where Actor was. And he had to have known that. While he and the Warden knew someone would come for them, Actor knew nobody would be comin’ for him. He fixed his eyes on the con man. For the first time, Actor avoided his gaze.

“Never thought about that either,” said Casino. He addressed the man he liked to annoy. “Thought you were always in control. Sure, we can make you mad. But, it wasn’t like you’re the same as the rest of us. Only yuh are.” Actor glanced at him under eyebrows. “Okay maybe not much like the rest of us, but yuh know what I mean.”

“Yes,” said Actor quietly, “I know what you mean.”

“We’re all human,” said Garrison. “We all feel joy. We all feel sadness. We all feel pain on different levels.”

“And we all feel fear.”

Casino looked sharply at the Italian. He never expected something like that outta the man. “Didn’t think you were ever afraid.”

“I am very good at hiding it,” said Actor. “Does not mean I do not feel it.” He looked up at Casino. “You’ve been in stir more than once. You know you can’t show it. You can’t let them know you are afraid. If you do, they have you. The screws . . . the inmates . . . the Germans.”

There was nothing to be said after that truth. The men sat in silence, drinking their bourbon, and mulling their own personnel hells.

GGG

The days passed. Kelly spent afternoons with his older brother. They talked about the state of the war, what Kelly and his sister and friends were doing and anything else . . . except Jenny. Craig tried to get the boy to go home, but to no avail. After awhile Garrison realized he wasn’t talking to a boy anymore, but a man and seasoned resistance fighter. He wondered if any of them would be the same after the war and doubted it.

Terry avoided Actor as though he had bubonic plague. She answered if spoken to, but the camaraderie and open affection was gone. Casino watched. It would be in his favor if the girl dumped the con man, but he still had no proof there really was any romance between the two. That got the safecracker watching Actor. 

Casino couldn’t help but notice that Actor was avoiding him too or more specifically avoiding him more than usual. Then, suddenly, it hit him. The con man had opened up a part of himself he had always kept hidden. They had talked about fear. Maybe Actor was worried about what he would do with what he had heard. And maybe there had been a time Casino would have held it over the man. Not now. Not after that conversation that had brought the three men together. Only maybe Actor didn’t know that.  
He waited until they were alone in the common room and walked past the con man. “What we talked about with the Warden, that stays with just the three of us. Yuh know?”

Actor finally looked him in the eyes. Slowly he nodded.

“’Course yuh already know it ain’t gonna stop me from givin’ you a hard time,” Casino added.

It brought a grin to the older man’s face. “I still expect no less of you, Casino,” said Actor, with a smile.

So the con man continued to be called ‘Beautiful’ and told to ‘butt out,” with regularity. Still, there was something withdrawn about the man. Garrison noticed it. He knew there was bad feelings between his second and his sister and refused to get involved with their personal problems. Craig issued a 72-hour pass to London to all the men, in the hopes it would improve the Italian’s state of mind. It didn’t.

It was Kelly who became the catalyst. When he wasn’t talking with Craig, he began having conversations with the older man. Actor did not talk down to him. The man was a wealth of information and a good teacher. Kelly started picking up more of the con from the master. Finally, he broached the subject.

“What’s with you and Terry?” 

“Nothing,” said Actor, shuttering down.

“I don’t buy it,” said Kelly. “The way she is with you since we got back ain’t my sister.”

“I do not wish to discuss your sister,” said Actor firmly. He reached for the newspaper that was lying on the table they were at in the library.

Kelly shrugged. The man still scared him a little, but it did not stop him. “Okay, so don’t discuss it with me, but you might want to get it straightened out with her. Especially if the two of you are going back to working the way you were before this happened to Craig. You’re going back in again at some point. I figure it would be better for everyone if you two could at least tolerate each other.”

Actor opened the paper and ignored the boy. Kelly got up and left the room. Actor’s eyes followed his back. He was finding the Garrisons were all too astute.

Not much changed. Garrison was able to come downstairs and do paperwork at his desk. It was a matter of his face healing more before the missions would resume. His ribs were improving and if need be he was sure he could handle parachuting again.

The phone rang one afternoon to be answered by Garrison. He called out to his brother. Kelly picked up the one by the stairs. With a shake of his head, he asked when he would be picked up. Christine now had a beat up but serviceable car and she would get him in an hour.

“Guess the vacation’s over,” Kelly said to his brother.

“Looks that way,” said Craig, coming to lean on the door frame, arms crossed over his chest. 

Terry came downstairs with an empty laundry basket. Before she could ask what the phone was about her younger brother gave her a wide smile.

“Hey, think you could make us some sandwiches for the road?” 

Terry let the basket dangle from one hand in resignation. “Chris going?”

Kelly nodded.

“The boys going too?” Terry asked.

“The four of us,” said Kelly.

“Okay,” she smiled. “I think I got enough to feed all four of you.”

She disappeared into the kitchen while the boy went upstairs to get a bag packed. A half hour later, Kelly’s bag and a sack full of sandwiches was waiting by the door. Chief was watching out the window and saw the car turn into the drive from the road.

“She’s here,” said the Indian.

Casino stood and walked past Kelly, motioning for him to come along. Curious, Kelly followed him into the kitchen. Casino turned to look at him with a crooked smile.

“Listen, Kid,” he said. “You be careful out there okay?”

Kelly nodded. “Hey, you take care of yourself. And take care of Terry. She can get a little crazy sometimes.”

“Junior, that’s your whole family,” chuckled Casino. Kelly nodded in appreciation of that truism. Casino sobered, “I’ll do my damnedest to keep her safe.”

Kelly smiled, “Yeah, I know.” He cocked his head and looked curiously at the man. “Casino, do you have a name?”

That surprised Casino a little. “Charlie, Charlie Coletti.”

“Well, Charlie, it was a pleasure working with you,” said Kelly.

“Good working with you too, Kelly.”

Kelly held his hand out. Casino took it and shook it. He gave a short laugh and tugged on the boy’s hand. Kelly moved in for a hug and a slap on the back which he returned. They separated and walked back into the main room.   
Craig hooked an arm around the boy’s neck and pulled him into a hug. Kelly moved over to Terry and gave her a hug too.

“Try to stay out of cathouses,” she whispered.

“Only for recreation, Sis,” he whispered back mischievously.

“Kelly Garrison!”

“Just kidding!”

Kelly shook hands with the other men and headed for the door. He paused in the open doorway and looked back at Casino. With a cocky grin he said, “See you later, Ferretface.” 

Terry rolled her eyes. 

“Get outta here, Junior,” said Casino in mock annoyance.

With a grin, the boy picked up his bag and the sack and went out the door to the sound of the car horn.

GGG

Keeping a watch on Garrison’s recovery, Actor knew it would not be long before the expected phone call. Kelly’s words had stayed with him and though he would never admit that to anyone, the boy was right about the teamwork with Teresa.   
Actor walked out the back door into the garden. Teresa was on her knees pulling weeds from her vegetable bed with gloves on and her hair tied back. She gave a half glance at his high-topped laced boots when he stopped between the rows beside her.

“Come to the gazebo, please,” Actor said. “There are some things we need to clear up.”

Terry shook her head. “I don’t think there’s anything we need to talk about.”

“Which is precisely why we need to talk.”

Terry sat back on her heels, tilted her head back, and looked at him with wary distrust. He held his hand down to her. For a second she debated, but took her gloves off, reached up for his hand and rose to her feet. He led her to the gazebo and escorted her inside. She sat down on the bench seat and looked at her hands in her lap, very aware of him sitting beside her.

“What?” she asked. She just wanted to get this over with.

“I think you do not understand what has happened between us,” said Actor.

“Oh, I think I understand,” said the girl bitterly. “It’s been wrong with us every since London. Then you disappeared for three months. When you came back I hit you. I was wrong, but that just seemed to end it. You’ve been angry with me ever since. Not that I blame you. But no matter what I do, you get mad. Okay, you regret that night at your house. I don’t expect you to want a repeat. I’m sorry I listened to you and stayed there after that. I’ll get your key back to you. As for Norway, that was something I had to do. It had nothing to do with you. And now you tell me to go back to bed instead of seeing to Casino. You’re right. Some things I don’t understand.” 

Actor took a deep breath. “Let’s start with Casino. Teresa, there are some things a man cannot discuss with a woman. This was one of those things. And it is between me, the Warden, and Casino and no one else. It has nothing to do with you personally. Do I regret that night in London? No. Not now or ever. Norway? I am feeling things for you I swore I would never allow myself to feel again. And you were so determined to get yourself killed along with that young woman. A blood vendetta. You think I don’t understand that? Oh, but I do. I was afraid it was going to be your blood.”

Terry stared at him is shock. This was not what she had thought he was going to tell her. “Careful,” she warned. “You are getting close to deep water.”

“I think it is a bit late for that, cara. I think we are already there.” He was uncharacteristically without words. He knew what he needed to say, but not how to say it and frankly he was uncomfortable saying it. He tried anyway. “Teresa, you are so different from the women I am accustomed to. I find that . . . intriguing and desirable. But, I have been the way I am for more than half my life. I don’t know how to change. . .”

“Stop!” said Terry. “Just stop, Actor.” She used that name on purpose.

He looked at her with a frown.

“Caro, I know what you are. I know how you are. I don’t expect you to use that word, you know, that four-letter word that would get you in trouble. I am not asking you to change.” Now she struggled to say what she needed to say. “We both know that when the war ends, we end. You obviously know now that I am not some feather-headed society girl prude.” She glanced up sharply at him. “That doesn’t mean I sleep around. If I have a relationship with a man, that man has to be special to me. I’ve told you before, you’re special to me. I think of you as a friend, and if you are still willing, a lover.” Her face took on a severe look she had learned from him. “I do expect that you take care I don’t catch anything.”

“I am very conscientious about that,” he objected indignantly.

She smiled. “I know.”

Actor watched her stand and straddle his knees. Teresa reached her hands out to cup his face. She bent down and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Backing up, she studied his face to see his reaction. Placing hands on her hips, he firmly pushed her back two steps so he could stand. Dio, he needed this. He needed more than this, but that wasn’t possible here. Now he pulled her to him and claimed her lips with his. Any qualms he might have entertained were quickly removed by the tiny sound she made and her arms going around his waist. He kissed her and the kiss was returned and intensified.

The sound of the back door tore them apart. They could see Garrison slowly making his way down the steps.

“My turn,” whispered Teresa. 

She stomped down the steps of the gazebo, pausing at the bottom to turn back. 

“You are not my father, so don’t tell me what I can and can’t do!” she flung at him.

Actor’s voice held an edge of anger. “I am merely concerned about your safety and well-being, as you seem not to be!”

“Oh, cut the crap, Actor. You’re just mad because I wouldn’t do what you told me to do. I do know what I’m doing. Nobody got hurt and we didn’t blow ourselves up. Just stick that in your pipe and smoke it.”

Terry stomped off. As she passed her brother, she said in disgust. “Arrogant, Italian man! Maybe we should have kept Carter.”

Garrison watched her storm into the house. With a shake of his head, he turned back to the gazebo. Actor was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, clearly in a foul mood. Yes, it was going to be a long war. He watched his second in command walk down the steps and approach him. The two men exchanged looks, Garrison trying to contain his humor and Actor his frustration that was not for the reason the lieutenant thought.

“Warden, do not ever put me in a position to go on any more missions with your siblings. I don’t believe I could stand a repeat of this.”

Craig could not contain his grin now. “Well, you’re going to have to work with that one,” he said nodding toward the kitchen. “We have a mission.”


End file.
